| Opal is the
birthstone for October. |
In 'Twelfth Night'
Shakespeare referred to opal as "the queen of gems", while Pilany (1st Century
AD) wrote:
"Of all the precious stones, it is the opal that presents
the greatest difficulty of description, it displaying at once the piercing fire of ruby,
the purple brilliance of amethyst, and the sea green of emerald, all blended together and
refulgent with a brightness that is incredible."
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| The word 'opal' is derived from the Latin 'opalus',
meaning "to see a play in colour". Some say the word was derived from the name
of the Roman god of fertility, 'Opus'. The Romans cherished the Opal as a good luck charm
and believed it combined the beauty of all other precious gems. Cleopatra is said to have
worn an opal to attract the attention of Mark Anthony. |
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In 1958, Minnie Bedlington
published 'Stones of Fire: a Woman's Experiences in Search of Opal' (Robertson &
Mullens) - an account of her life as an opal miner in the 1930s. Having recently arrived
from England, she wrote of her first sunrise in the Australian outback ...
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"A golden light suffused
everything. The air was so clear it seemed to sparkle, and the hills were as sharp-cut as
the cardboard ones that look so impossible on the stage. Even the trees seemed to dance
differently. The sand was a lovely shade of rose. The enchantment of that golden serenity
was so complete that I knew I'd never willingly live in a city again." |
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| Aboriginals believe they have lived in Australia
since the Dreamtime, the beginning of all creation. Archeological evidence shows the land
has been inhabited for tens of thousands of years. Over this time, Aboriginal culture has
produced a rich variety of mythologies in hundreds of different languages. Opals, like
other minerals, have a spiritual value to Aboriginals because they represent something a
Dreaming ancestor left behind as a sign of his or her presence. The Wangkumara people,
an Aboriginal language group located in extreme north-western New South Wales, have a legend which tells
how their people gained fire from opal stones, with the assistance of a Muda - a Creator
who switches from human form to pelican. The story is preserved in a book of Aboriginal
legends, titled 'The Opal that Turned into Fire', compiled by Janet Mathews and published
by Magabala Books, Broome, Western Australia.
This legend recounts how long,long ago the Wangkumara people
decided to send a pelican (Muda) to explore the Northern Territory, so he could return and
tell them what was there. The pelican set off with all the fish and water he would need
for the journey stored in the pouch beneath his beak. After flying a while, but still
within Queensland, the pelican felt ill and landed on top of a hill that the Wangkumara
later named Bildimini. While resting the pelican observed the ground beneath him, amazed
by its magnificent array of colours. Although he did not know it, what he saw was opal.
The pelican was so curious he began to peck at the coloured stones with his beak.
Suddenly, a spark flew out and lit dry grass nearby. The flames rose and spread slowly
across the plains for a long distance, approaching a group of Wangkumara who were camping
near Cooper's Creek. The people were able to use the fire to cook their meat and fish for
the first time, and were grateful for this new gift.
Another legend tells how an earlier Muda, also in pelican form, had created Cooper's
Creek for the Wangkumara and filled it with fish. Wounded by a spear, this Muda had died
on the hill that would be called Bildimini. His blood and the water in his pouch flowed
down the hillside, soaking into the earth and hardening into opal and gold.
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"Where the Minnaritchi
grows, there you will find opal", claimed the old-time prospectors, and the
ruby red trunks of these trees glow like the heart of an opal through the scrub. |
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