Milton.
Perhaps against no other gem has the bigotry of superstitious ignorance so prevailed as against the wonderful opal. The reason for it dates no further back apparently than the 14th century. It was at this time that the dreaded “Black Death” was carrying off thousands of people in Europe. The year 1348, an astrological Martial sub-cycle, saw Venice assailed by destructive earthquakes, tidal waves and the Plague. The epidemic in a few months carried off two-fifths of the population of the city, sparing neither rich nor poor, young nor old. It is said that at this time the opal was a favourite gem with Italian jewellers, being much used in their work. It is further said that opals worn by those stricken became suddenly brilliant and that the lustre entirely departed with the death of the wearer. Story further tells that the opal then became an object of dread and was associated with the death of the victim. On the astrological side it might be considered that the city of Venice comes under the watery Cancer, and can not, therefore, claim the opal as its jewel. But, admitting that under special and rare conditions certain diseases can influence the opal if worn on the body, the truth of the Venice story can be reasonably doubted. Another theory of the origin of the superstition is traced to the rigorous order of Jerome Savonarola for the destruction of the vanities in the year 1497. This remarkable ascetic caused great bonfires to be lighted in various parts of the city of Florence, the largest in the Piazza Signoria. Into these bonfires were thrown works of art and beauty, pictures, statues, jewels and beautiful raiment. The fanatical spirit so gained ground owing to the impassioned preaching of Savonarola that women threw into the flames their costliest jewels, authors their books, students their manuscripts and poets their love songs. It is assumed that the opal, the gem and symbol of the beauties of Venus came under the ban and history relates that the most direct onslaughts were made on the pictures and statues of the goddess. Astrologers show that the year 1497 was dominated by the planet of war and destruction, Mars, and it is deplorable that so many wonderful works were sacrificed during that unhappy period. The artist F. W. W. Topham, R. I., has illustrated this event in his well-known painting “Renouncing the Vanities by Order of Savonarola,” which picture now hangs in the Art Gallery of New South Wales. There is also a story which tells that during the Crimean War the gem was popular with the English army and navy and that it was found in quantities on the bodies of the slain. Sir Walter Scott’s romantic story “Anne of Geierstein,” was a powerful influence in advancing the superstition against the opal, although Sir Walter alluded to the Mexican Opal known as Girasol and not to the better known precious opal. Even whilst these superstitions were growing, to dream of an opal was regarded as an indication of great possessions, of the favour of ladies and people of influence, and—if the stone be dark—of sudden happenings of a beneficial nature. Another modern superstition says that it is not fortunate to set opals and diamonds together in jewels. Quabalistically, opals and diamonds are set down as particularly harmonious stones which, in combination, have a fortunate and positive-negative influence. Astrologically the diamond is attached to the zodiacal signs Aries, Leo and Libra, and the opal to Leo, Libra and Aquarius, and astrology is absolutely the special guide to talismanic construction. The fine fiery opal known as the “Burning of Troy” given by Napoleon to Josephine, is sometimes quoted as evidence of the evil power of opals. It rather provides peculiar testimony in favour of old talismanic lore. This opal was lost and has never since been found—opals would be regarded as unfavourable for Josephine. Passing over trivial superstitions containing neither truth nor interest, we may conclude this section with the story of the Grand Opal of Spain which is said to have brought disaster to the Royal House:
Horoscope of Alfonzo XII
Astrologically the opal would be accounted unfortunate for this King.
When Alfonzo XII of Spain was a wanderer he was deeply attracted by, and fell in love with the Comtesse de Castiglione, then a reigning beauty. Immediately Alfonzo became King the Comtesse hastened to greet him with the fond desire to become his queen. However, when she found that he had set her aside and married the Princess Mercedes her anger knew no bounds. Resolving on revenge, she sent Alfonzo “in memory of the old friendship” a wedding present of a magnificent opal set in a filagree ring of gold—a style of mounting in great favour with the jewellers of Spain. The delicacy of the jewel so attracted Queen Mercedes that she asked the King to grace her finger with it. A few months afterwards she died of a mysterious illness and Alfonzo gave the ring so admired by her to Queen Christina, his grandmother, whose death shortly followed. The King then presented the ring to his sister the Infanta Maria del Pilar, who was in turn carried off by the same mysterious illness. A few weeks afterwards the King’s sister-in-law, the youngest daughter of the Duc and Duchesse de Montpensier, who had asked the King for the ring also died. The King then placed it on his own finger and in a little time the same illness which had affected his wife and kindred ended his troubled earth-life. After these calamities Queen Christina attached the ring to a chain of gold and set it about the neck of the patron saint of Madrid, the Virgin of Alumdena. Ancient philosophy would have depreciated the wearing or giving of an opal by Alfonzo XII of Spain. At this time it must be remembered that cholera was raging throughout Spain—over 100,000 people died of it during the summer and autumn of 1885. It attacked all classes from the palace of the King to the hut of the peasant, some accounts giving the death estimate at 50% of the population. It would be as obviously ridiculous to hold the opal responsible for this scourge as it was to do so in the case of the previously noted plague at Venice. All that may be said is that in this case the opal was not a talisman of good for King Alfonzo XII of Spain and to those who received it from his hand, and that in the philosophy of sympathetic attraction and apathetic repulsion man, stones, metals and all natural objects come under the same law. We may wonder why the King gave this opal from one of his relatives to another, but the reputation of the opal as a charm against cholera (noted in the previous chapter) must have reached the King who, in the intensity of his worry, used a charm which according to the ancients would act in his hands fatally instead of beneficially.
In the month of October, 1908, a French Baron sitting in the stalls of the London Pavilion during Mr. and Mrs. Marriott’s thought-reading exhibition, handed an opal of uncommon form to Mr. Marriott. Mrs. Marriott seated on the stage with bandaged eyes gave an accurate description of it, saying further that it was a stone of fortune to the owner who was about to become the possessor of over half a million of money. The Baron, who resided in London for the past 18 years, when interviewed by a representative of the “Evening News” on the following day, communicated the fact that a few days before, he had, through the death of a relative in Mexico become heir to property worth over £500,000, yielding an income of £25,000 per annum. The Baron who cherished the opal as his sympathetic luck stone, told the newspaper man that:
"It is an uncut stone which has been in the possession of my family since the twelfth century. We have always had the tradition that it will bring good fortune to any direct descendant of the family in the male line who holds it.
"A curious stipulation, however, of the tradition is that the person who has it must possess qualities which have a sympathetic attraction to the stone in order that its beneficent effect may be felt. On a flat surface of the opal is a word in old Spanish, now only dimly seen, which means in English ‘good luck.’
"I have treasured the gem as an heirloom, but have thought little of the tradition until lately, when a member of the cadet branch of the family died and left me the immense fortune I have mentioned to you. I can hardly realize all that it means to me as yet. Up to now my income has not been much more than £500, and to suddenly find £25,000 a year at one’s disposal is a little staggering.
“There have been one or two previous instances where my ancestors while holding the opal have experienced exceptionally good luck, but, personally, I have not ever paid much regard to the old tradition. You may imagine, however, that the gem will be most carefully preserved by me.”