HOW OPALS CAME TO BE CONSIDERED UNLUCKY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 4 August 1928, Page 10

HOW OPALS CAME TO BE CONSIDERED UNLUCKY

Many peonle consider opals very unlucky, and they would be afraid to wear them. Opals, however, were not alwavs suspected of being bringers of .bad luck. In the thirteenth century, when jewels were rare, wealthy European merchants used tp. give a gre.-it part of their wealth to the churches. When the traders began to bring home orals from Russia and from Hungary, the merchants soei>' a-great deal ofmonev that they would have giv*>n (o the churches on buviiiff <>bals. One merchant, however. nresen'ed the largest, onal known at il'Mi to 'he eathedr.il at Rheinis. ••Mid this wonderful sjnne was mounted ''i th" cover of Bible which la'V on fl>e allfir. As time went on. more and rnoi-e rnoiiev was spent on bnviiur ooals nn<l less jind l»ss went In tlip church. and at last, when had become serious. P'« nrh'sts <->f Rlteims decided fn pn (o thfl r'ti'he'lv'il in the night and break "i«" wni'dfi-ful or>:>l in thn Bth'l? ;"-. si thousand F"a"men.fs. Thev '■aid *W i\,r 1 had b"«n struck with « tlutnde.rKilt tiernu«e r locl w»« anfrv with lUe ni . ( ,nlo for tb"ir money on |1.,i«0 s 'f, t |os, The riennlr. wem eon.'■:..r.p,l nf the' - " '"rongilo'ti". and since Ihii' lime on'd.s have always been, regarded as unluckv.