Opal hadn’t always carried a price. Its popularity depended on fashion but fashion depended on superstitions. Over a long period of time opal was ill famed. It was considered to be a symbol of veiled passion and inconstancy. It was a stone of will-o'-the-wisp and illusions.

The reason for such a great number of superstitions was unbelievable color richness of this stone.

An extremely various color spectrum of the stone not just enchanted our ancestors but frightened them. But if we take into consideration the stone's ability to loose its shine, to change its coloring under heating or soiling - then we can see our ancestors' mystic delight and horror that crept over them.

The history tells that British king Edward VII changed opals his crown was incrusted with into rubies.

There's also an opinion that while Napoleon was in exile, the famous opal called "The burning of Troy" that belonged to Josephine disappeared. As legend tells, it dissolved in the air destroying itself. Because of those rumors Viennese jewellers lost a lot of buyers and had to throw their opals away in Danube.

For ancient Romans opal was a symbol of fidelity. Namely opal was incrusted in the crown of the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Constantine that affirmed that the stone shined in the dark, guarded royal power, honor and life itself. They thought that opal helped to cure eyes sickness, protected against sufferings and violence. It was an incarnation of power and faith. But superstitious Constantine in his stories about wonder-working qualities of the stone mentioned that opal can make its owner invisible; the stone immediately became a talisman of thieves. It was the beginning of ill fame for opal.

But nevertheless rare and unusual beauty of opal has returned popularity to the stone. The final rebirth of fashion occurs in 1877 when big opal fields were found in Australia.

The history of Australian opal fields is also very interesting. A hunter chasing a kangaroo mortally wounded the animal that broke up turf trying to leap to its feet. The hunter saw a gem vein of unbelievable beauty glaring with all the colors of the rainbow.  

The discovered field belonged to British Queen.  Commercial interests of British Crown wanted opal to be mined out and sold. And the queen Victoria advertised her goods. She appears everywhere with opal http://www.shopping-around.com/jewelry_watches/jw_jewelry.html

Nowadays opal is one of the most prestigious gems. There are industrial fields of opals in Europe and South America but namely Australian fields that give about 95 % of world opal output are considered to be unique.

Astrologers recommend wearing opal http://www.jewelry-platinum.com/  to people born under Libra astrology sign.  

Value of opals is determined by the number of pure colors (four maximum: red, yellow, green and blue) that are visible on the stone surface. In other words its value is determined by spectrum with reflected light. Namely this phenomenon is the reason of diamond sparkling and due to it diamond is called "the king of precious stones". Opal is a member of royal family.