Around 1909…in the Opal fields of Australia…a reptilian skeleton
was found. It resembled a snake…and had become…through a natural
process …opalized. It was a unique one-of-a-kind object…one of
those things nature decided not to replicate. One can only guess into
whose hands our little serpent fell…and one can only guess how much
superstition was foisted upon our little doo-dad…for both the
serpent and the opal carry great weight in the world of mysterious
beliefs.
Alas…I can not show you the snake…whose name–for all I know–may
well have been Osmond…for the opal is the gem for that name. Don’t
ask me why. It’s one of the unfathomables. However…I can show you an
opal…a black opal in fact…make that two black opals…both in the
rough. It’s one thing to see man-made beauty…it’s another to see
how beauty looks when nature has a go at it. She has a touch we lack.
Opals…generally…are considered bad luck. Black opals–on the
other hand–have quite the opposite effect. Once upon a time there was
a little shopgirl trying to cross a heavily trafficked street in
Paris. Busy busy the street was …and she stopped halfway across to
await a lull in passing vehicles. Whilst waiting…a wealthy
lady…also waiting…took off her opal ring and handed it to the
shopgirl. I don’t know if this was a black opal or a regular opal. The
story continues.
The shopgirl tried to sell the ring and was promptly arrested. The
judge however–believing her story–had an ad placed in the local
paper asking the lady who had given the opal to the shopgirl to
present herself…thereby clearing the young girl’s name. As is
happened…the wealthy lady did show up…cleared the shopgirl’s name
…and life went on. The reason she gave the shopgirl the opal
ring…it was an unlucky piece of jewelry which she feared would
eventually do her harm…and she couldn’t bear to own it another
moment. The shopgirl then presumably sold the ring…gleaned whatever
francs she had coming to her…and life went on. Opal: Unlucky for
the wealthy lady…lucky for the shopgirl.
As you all ponder this tale of luck and the lack thereof…you may
well be asking yourselves…and even me for that matter:
Hey…Benjamin…it’s a nice story and all that…but what does it
mean? Are opals lucky or unlucky. To all of you I answer: What do I
know? No clue honey bunny. No idea whatsoever. Go to Paris…cross the
street…stop in the middle…if a wealthy lady strides up alongside
of you and hands you her opal ring…I would have to say: Lucky. And
let me know the name of the street.
For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits…may I
direct you to my home page at www.tyler-adam.com where you will
scroll down the table menu till you get to the box that says
Tidbits…and inside the box where it says Tidbit Graphics…click on
the link that says: Black Opals…where you will see a graphic of
beauty in the rough.
And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks. Catch you all next
week. Benjamin Mark
TYLER-ADAM CORP.–Jewelry Manufacturers
Tel: 1-800-20-TYLER
E-Mail to: webmaster@tyler-adam.com