Australian Opal Gallery
EST.1964
Facts & Myths About Australian Opals
Myth: The best way to view an opal is under bright lights.
Fact: When viewing an opal, the most important thing is the way the sunlight falls on the stone. To see the stone at it's best, the light must come directly over your shoulder.
Myth: Oil or household liquid can damage your Australian opal.
Fact: This is a complete myth. With 90% of the worlds opal production, Australian opal suffers few of the problems which afflict much of the opal from other parts of the world. This is due mainly to the fact that Australian opal has grow under different conditions. It is a sedimentary opal, not volcanic. Because of the different types of opal many myths have grown up among them. There are not known compounds that can penetrate a solid Australian opal. This maybe the case with certain forms of volcanic opal, but not with good quality Australian sedimentary opal.
Myth: Opals should occasionally be soaked in water.
Fact: This is another myth. Again, if it’s Australian opal you’re wasting your time, but if you do, you won’t damage or enhance it. Up to this point they have proved to be impervious to everything so you can buy and wear them without fear.
Myth: To preserve opal wear it less frequently
Fact: The best way to preserve opal for future generation is to handle, enjoy, and wear them. On the other hand, opal is a special quality gem which is not meant for everyday knockabout wear. At times, you may want to wipe fingerprints away with a wet cloth.
What about superstitious around Opals?
What does history tell us objectively about the reputation of Opal?
There are two myths about Opal that will evaporate immediately when we study the facts.
Myth #1: Opal brings bad luck in your life unless it is your birthstone.
Our founder Tibor Shelley was born in January - not in October - and he and his family have worn and worked with opal for more than 52 years without a hint of bad luck of any kind.
This superstitious story started in London in the 1890’s when opal was making inroads into the diamond market. The diamond merchants hired influential writers to create all kind of bad stories and lies around opals to try to destroy the reputation of the opal and protect their markets.
One such piece of literature was Sir Walter Scott’s poem Anne of Geierstein. In this poem lady Hermione who mysteriously died when she received an opal on her death bed. What the writer doesn't mention is that she died because she overdosed on heroin.
On the other hand, history tell us that Queen Victoria laughed at this superstition! When her daughter got married she gave the new couple beautiful opals as a wedding gift because she loved opals. The daughter was healthy and well all of her life and lived a happy life without any bad luck, like her mother.
Unfortunately, Sir Walter Scott succeeded in negatively influencing the European opal market for at least 50 years with the the myths and lies he created about opals. Within months of his novel being published the opal market crashed and prices were down 50%. So the diamond merchants sadly, but surely succeeded in ruining the reputation of opal during his time period.
However, elsewhere in history the opal was considered a lucky and meaningful stone from Roman times. In Australia during the last 200 years the opal has been a symbol of purity, hope and luck. There is a saying in Australia that “the only bad luck about opal is not own one…”
Myth #2: Opal is too fragile to wear.
Opal is as hard as jade and amethyst. It is harder and tougher than turquoise. True, it can crack but so can a diamond and indeed many diamonds do crack, far more than you would imagine. The cause of cracking in opals is usually an inappropriate setting.
We know lots of people who wear properly set opal all the time even when they fish, cut rocks, climb mountain, race cars, swim, soak in hot-tub, generally live life without taking their opal jewelry off. They have never broken a stone, like our founder, he never broke a stone while wearing opals for over 52 years. So rest assured, your opal will provide a lifetime of pleasure and beauty if properly set and care for!