Opals Can be Unlucky
Whether the old superstition that opals, as gems, are unlucky still holds good oi’ not may be doubtful, but scientists have discovered that opal if inadvertently mixed in concrete, is definitely unlucky! The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, in Melbourne, has completed a five-year programme of tests with samples of sand, gravel and rock from all states of Australia, and 16 kinds of cement. The tests were inspired by reports from the United States, where cracking in concrete structures was found to be caused by a reaction between the cement and certain kinds of gravel; all of which contained opal. Australia’s C.S.I.R. . research team confirmed the American discovery. Tests showed that when opal is present in concrete, particles gradually soften and swell, expanding and cracking the cement. Opal occurs extensively in Australia, but only a few varieties have any value as gemstones. —N.Z.P.A. —Reuter.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GRA19480830.2.75.10
Bibliographic details
Grey River Argus, 30 August 1948, Page 8
Word Count
149Opals Can be Unlucky Grey River Argus, 30 August 1948, Page 8
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