HOW OPALS CAME TO BE CONSIDERED UNLUCKY

Shannon News, 18 September 1928, Page 4

HOW OPALS CAME TO BE CONSIDERED UNLUCKY

Many people consider opals very unlucky, and they -"would be afraid to wear them. Opals, however, were not always s suspected of being bringcrs of bad luck. 'ln the thirteenth century, when jewels were rare, wealthy European merchants used to give a great part of their wealth to churches. When the traders began to bring home opals from Bussia and from Hungary, the merchants spent a great, deal of money, that they would have given to the churches on buying opals. One merchant, however, presented the largest opal known at that time to the cathedral at Eheims, and this wonderful stone was mounted in the cover of the Bible which lay on the altar. As time went on more and more money was spent on buying opals and less went to the church and at last, when matters had become serious, the priests of Eheims decided to go to the cathedral in the night and break the wonderful opal in the Bible in a thousand fragments. They said the opal had been struck with a thunderbolt because God was angry with the people for spending their money on these stones. The people were convinced of their wrongdoing, and since that time opals have always been regarded as unlucky.