BIRTHSTONES

Hokitika Guardian, 23 July 1927, Page 2

BIRTHSTONES

M’EABTNG of opals

SYDNEY. July 7

T.ittle two-lined paragraphs, which in their skeleton form, often look so dull in the newspapers prove at times, on investigation and elaboration, quite intcrcsting. The Premier (Mr Lang), for example, recently asked the Xew South M’alcs Agency in London to submit to tile National Jeweller s Association the question of reconsidering the exclusion of opals from its list of birthstoncs. There now turns out to lie quite an interesting story behind that little over tare. It is revealed, strangely enough to someone associated with one of the safe deposit firms in Sydney. Opals it is contended, sell on their merits without the birth.stone advertisement. This contention has evoked the "rath ol one who apparently knows a good deal about opals, who says that those who are trying to exclude them from the list of birthstoncs are simply trying to boost the aquamarine at the expense of one of Australia’s national gems. M’h.v, he asked indignantly, should a beautiful Australian product he ousted by the South American acqunmarino? TTo goes on to point out that the worldwide belief attached to birthstones; and to .state that of a total population of 490.000,009 |K‘ople in Eurojie. Canada, and the United States, more than 40,000,1.00 were horn in October, the opal month. If. he says, only oneeight of that vast number, or five millions. wear their birthstones. at an average value of 10s per stone, it would mean £2.500,000. for Australia alone, ft sounds little mercenary, hut it in perhaps worth bearing in mind by those who first looked out upon the world in October.