Opal's Role in Folklore and Legends

Opal's Role in Folklore and Legends
Posted On : 22 Jul

Deep in the bowels of the earth where fire meets water and whirls with the life breath of the earth stands the shining jewel of the Earth, the opal. Rainbows and those mythic tales Opal stone is one of those gemstones that people have revered, feared, and worshipped over the centuries. You can find a crystal with amazing opal stone price online. 

Its glow of colors which is sometimes compared to the flickering of an aurora while confined to a stone has been the cause of folklore and mythology in many civilizations. This is a story about opal crystal in fairytales and legends, about the path in the halls of history where the real and fabulous intermingle.

 

Origin of Opal Stone: A Mystical Birthstone

 

We start our road in Australia, the home of the Opal stone which is a recognized national gemstone. In addition, Aboriginals believe that the creator touched the earth with a rainbow to give a message of peace to the people. 

Just when his foot was in contact with the ground, the stones turned into living and breathing rainbows. Therefore, opal was created filled with the color and the light of the creator’s rainbow. This amazing story is why the opal stone price is high. 

In addition to describing the origins of opal gemstone, it also represents the unity and the divine beauty that the gemstone symbolizes. Different tribes of the aborigines also think that opals contained the spirits of the forefathers. 

The gem was believed to be connecting the material world with the spiritual one, allowing the ancestors’ knowledge to be received. The following beliefs placed opals not only as valuable stones but also as sacred ones, as they were used for holding spiritually significant items.

 

Original Opal stone

Opal in Roman and Greek Mythology

 

Originally, the Romans named opal “Opalus” which translated into “precious stone” and they associated this stone with hope and purity. Some Native Australians thought that Opal stones came from thunderstorms and contained the thunderstorms’ lighting magnificence inside. 

Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder had much to say about the opal, noting that is a stone in which all the most admirable qualities of the best and largest of the precious gems can be combined. Other than Moonstone, Opal was another well-respected stone. 

To the Romans, having an opal was as good as having the power to foretell the future and being shielded. In Delicate legends, it was represented that opals originated from the tears of Zeus which were dropped when he triumphed over the Titans. Such mythology is why the opal stone price is high. 

This link to divina and victory placed the opal crystal among the stones of special divine favor. There was a legend that it renders its wearer to have a vision and see through the veil of time and that is why seer oracle preferred carrying it.

 

opal-gemstone

Medieval Europe: Opal as a Symbol of Fortune

 

In medieval Europe, it has been also considered as a stone of good luck. Perhaps the most important was called the ‘eye stone,’ and was said to help one’s sight and prevent diseases of the eyes. 

The opal’s play of colors was believed to disclose the character of the owner’s soul and his intentions, thus it became a valuable aid in the hands of shamans, wizards, and likewise seekers of the truth. Even then the opal stone price is high. 

Nevertheless, the fate of opal changed in the 14th century when the increased occurrence of black death affected Europe. There was gossip that opals which used to be associated with hope and purity had become stones of death. 

As to the wearing of opals, if a person who wore an Opal stone died of the plague, then the stone became stained and dim. This link with death and disease served to change the reputation of the opal and converted it from the symbol of good luck into that of misfortune.

opal-gemstone

 

The Opal in Eastern Legends: A Gem of Great Value

 

It is interesting to know that in Eastern cultures, opals have always been considered as gemstones that possessed many great qualities, and at the same time, the stones had a protective nature. Amethyst is another legendary stone. 

Opal stones in ancient India were thought to be sound substances produced and crystallized from the undefiled petals of the god Lotus. The opal was also valued in Arabic culture, opals were argued to have rained down during the thunderstorms and contained the lightnings in its structure. 

Due to this conviction that opal gemstones came from the sky, people desired them since it was believed that they shielded them and bestowed on them blessings of prosperity. 

 

CONCLUSION

 

Opal remains one of the naturally formed stones that to this date has the most incredible movement of light in the form of rainbows when held against a light source. Starting with the Aboriginal Australians’ myths and legends concerning opals dating back to prehistoric times. 

From the mid-European legends about opal gemstones being other-worldly gems, and East to the contemporary legends, opal has never lost its place in the legends. This precious jewel, conceived by the crucible of the earth’s effulgent honeymoon of fire and water, brings to mind the revelation and discovery inherent in the sustainability of the universe. 

It propels us to engage with the narrative of our forefathers, to seek a reason for the legends, and to appreciate the enchantment in life and the world. Check out the amazing opal stone prices online and get this beautiful gem for yourself. 

It is not a stone; it is a living legend the opal crystal – an embodiment of nature as well as imagination that exists within the human world.