Opals

Anyone know where opals originate and why they are believed to be unlucky by some?

I don't know where opals originated from but there are quite a few opal mines in Australia.

Mostly up in North Queensland.

They are considered unlucky for those born in October.

That's about all I know of them,Violet.

But I do like them,I remember owning a ring years ago with marquasite (spelling) round the centre opal.

But unfortunately I lost it.

I have a few opals that are in a rough but polished state shaped to be worn as a pendant. I like this better than the traditionally set ones. I wear then on a leather cord or a silver chain and I like the matrix opal. Matrix opal is like liquid opal streams injected into the pores of the rock....so it looks like just a rock with lots of flecks and pinheads and little veins of colour, extremely vivid and iridescent colour....intense blue, purple, green, red, and the colours seem to change when you see it from different angles and different light.

I can remember asking someone once why opals are sometimes considered unlucky...and was told that they are a stone that is very good at slipping out of a setting.

Some information from my little pocket reference series book...Crystals gems and Minerals...and my Crystal Bible.

Locations: Australia, Mexico, Peru, South America, Britain, Canada, United States, Honduras, Slovakia.

Colour: White, pink, black, beige, blue, yellow, brown, orange, red, green , purple.

Appearance: Clear to milky, iridescent and fiery, or vitreous without fire, often small and polished.

Rarity: Easily obtained although gem opals are expensive.

Opal: A form of silica where the arrangement of silica grains and water content (which can be up to 30%) results in a play of colour.

Enhances: Intuition, inspiration, imagination, creativity, memory, psychic awareness, moderation of greed, emotional balance.

Aids the maintenance or treatment of: eyesight, lungs, pineal and pituitary glands, heart.

Special features: Its animosity for greed and corruption make this a stone not to be used by the impure of heart. (some people may find this unlucky.)

Where to wear: finger or throat.

Chakra: Because it carries the full spectrum of colours, it can resonate with each chakra point.

Zodiac: Libra/Aquarius/Pisces/Cancer.

Birthstone: October

Dream: Great possessions.

Care: Opals need to be treated with care. Some are sensitive to detergents and cosmetics. As they have a high water content, they can eventually dry out and crack. (could be why they slip settings and could be seen as it being unlucky to wear one) They should be immersed in water once a month. Never wear while sunbathing swimming or washing. ( I didn't know that...I always wear mine in the shower).

That's great, thanks Feather

Some interesting information there,Feather.

I lived in Qld back in the 1960's,just outside Brisbane then went back for a year in 2007,living in MacKay.

I love Opals,they are a fascinating stone.

I notice you have Britain included in the list of Opals to be found.

That is something new to me,must find out about that.

Hi Joanie...Did you like it here? We are up near Mt Isa.

Mackay is a nice town...we spent some time around Clermont and used to do the shopping in Mackay.

The book listed Britain as a source...but that is as detailed as it got.

There are lots of places in Australia. Even near Winton, Qld. which is quite close to us, they have Opal gougers and diggings and very nice opal comes out of the dirt

feather wrote:Hi Joanie...Did you like it here? We are up near Mt Isa.

Mackay is a nice town...we spent some time around Clermont and used to do the shopping in Mackay.

The book listed Britain as a source...but that is as detailed as it got.

There are lots of places in Australia. Even near Winton, Qld. which is quite close to us, they have Opal gougers and diggings and very nice opal comes out of the dirt

Lovely to meet you,Feather.

We migrated through the old migrant scheme in 1960,spent 10 years there but had to return to UK for personal reasons.

Then hubby passed over in 2006,my son was still out in Oz so went back for a year. My favourite is Oz.

It's hard when we have family in two separate countries deciding where to live.

I have dual nationality,and my heart will always be over there.

I loved MacKay,my kind of town.

It was hard to leave again.

But.....still have my Oz passport,you never know I might just be back.

Hubby was in the Oz army so knew a lot more about the northern regions than I did.

He enlisted in Darwen.

Great meeting you!

Joanie, to come back any time! My husband's step father came out from England in the early 60's on a boat....probably the same migrant scheme. His family came from around the Banbury area. You may have crossed paths somewhere. xxx - H

feather wrote: Joanie, to come back any time! My husband's step father came out from England in the early 60's on a boat....probably the same migrant scheme. His family came from around the Banbury area. You may have crossed paths somewhere. xxx - H

You never know,Feather.

Though getting a bit long in the tooth for long travel now.

But I would love to make one more trip again.

Keep in touch.

Lovely knowing there is another Aussie on here.

I know Banbury,I'm up country a little in Cambridgeshire.

I certainly will Joan. Yes it is quite exhausting all that time in the air...I think it can be as long as 24 hours with some stops on the way. We were over in the UK over Christmas...didn't do the 'sleeping on the floor at Heathrow thing,' but spent about 6 days snow bound in Banbury....ploughed our way through the snow to the Castle Quay Shopping Centre quite a few times....(When at a loose end...I do a bit of retail therapy. )We had Christmas in Ireland. It was really magical in the snow for us to have a white Christmas. Luck I enjoy the cold....It can be 'a long time too hot' here.

Let's say 'Thank God' for air conditioning!

Though must admit I like the weather in Melbourne better.

It may be changeable but at least the sun does go in now and again.

Have you ever heard of Salisbury outside of Brisbane?

That was where we lived most of the time.

Snow? You're welcome to it!

Send you a 'snowball over,eh?

Take care.

Joanie x

Yes, Joanie. I have heard of Salisbury...I grew up in Maryborough, just north of Brisbane. Not a bad climate at all....you just have to dodge the odd cyclone.

Small world,eh?

Maryborough? Been there once on holiday.

Talking about Cloncurry,I worked with a girl in Brisbane who married a guy from there so moved up the area.

We kept in touch for years then moving around I lost touch with her.

Shame.

I worked in Brisbane for an ice cream company for years.

I visited Brisbane last time I was over there,such a change!

Couldn't hardly find my way around.

Small world all right! You went to Maryborough on holiday??? I left there when I was 17...went bush to be a governess! Maryborough hasn't changed that much...Walkers ship yard closed down and it pretty well didn't do the town much good...it went through a period with forestry connections...pine forests and timber...now the city promotes itself as a heritage city with historical buildings.

Hervey Bay...the seaside place 1/2 hour away has really powered ahead and is actually as big as Maryborough now...actually Hervey Bay now has the best hospital . Maryborough Hospital used to be a training hospital but now even the obstetrics patients go to Hervey bay. When I was a kid Hervey bay was only about 3 streets deep from the beach. Things have changed so much!

Yes Brisbane has really grown too...it seems that southern retirees like to come to Queensland. We occasionally fly from Mt Isa to Brisbane but it is expensive. Plan to go to a Celtic Thunder concert in Brisbane at the Entertainment Centre in February. Should be good.

We are in the area south of Cloncurry and north of Boulia. About 3 hours drive from Mt Isa for shopping.

feather wrote:Small world all right! You went to Maryborough on holiday??? I left there when I was 17...went bush to be a governess! Maryborough hasn't changed that much...Walkers ship yard closed down and it pretty well didn't do the town much good...it went through a period with forestry connections...pine forests and timber...now the city promotes itself as a heritage city with historical buildings.

Hervey Bay...the seaside place 1/2 hour away has really powered ahead and is actually as big as Maryborough now...actually Hervey Bay now has the best hospital . Maryborough Hospital used to be a training hospital but now even the obstetrics patients go to Hervey bay. When I was a kid Hervey bay was only about 3 streets deep from the beach. Things have changed so much!

Yes Brisbane has really grown too...it seems that southern retirees like to come to Queensland. We occasionally fly from Mt Isa to Brisbane but it is expensive. Plan to go to a Celtic Thunder concert in Brisbane at the Entertainment Centre in February. Should be good.

We are in the area south of Cloncurry and north of Boulia. About 3 hours drive from Mt Isa for shopping.

I used to love the beach,we were never away.

Sunday morning,was grab the kids,in the car,leaving about 5am down to Surfers Paradise!

My son used to do scuba diving there,also up in MacKay.

He is about the same age as you.

Both my kids attended Salisbury school.

We used to fly to MacKay for a days shopping,$40 for a day return!



Great stuff.

If it wasn't one member of my family,I'd grab the lot of them and be on that plane!

My eldest grand daughter won't leave her partner and he is not interested in Oz.

You wouldn't know Surfer's Paradise now....it has grown so big and citified...I think the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane...you know... Noosa, Coolangatta, Caloundra, Alexandria Headlands etc....is much nicer as it is not as developed as Surfer's and very suitable for family holidays as well as for the younger set , surfing etc. ...beautiful beaches and shopping.

Maleny, Montville and Mapleton...are at the top of the range overlooking the Sunshine Coast...and it is beautiful there....becoming quite settled, but the scenery and climate is to die for.... probably when you were here there may not have been much there...but it is very touristy now with little tea shops, art and craft galleries, and cute little shops that sell nick knacks and crystals and jewellery and all sorts of interesting stuff.

We've really digressed from the topic, I fear. Anyway Joanie...lovely to chat about Oz with you. You might make it back one day.xxx

Just to throw a bit of the opal topic back in. ....My son used to live in Opal Street in Mt Isa. ????

Just one further comment,Feather then back to Opals.

I also worked in a chemical and fertilizer company in Brisbane.

On the data processing side.

I used to balance all the accounts and this is how I am also familiar with most of the areas up North Qld.

The names you have mentioned brought many memories back.

Mt.Isa in particular.

I knew them all then.



Catch you again sometime.

It's good to have a ramble down memory lane occasionally. I've really enjoyed sharing memories with you, Joanie. xxx

feather wrote:It's good to have a ramble down memory lane occasionally. I've really enjoyed sharing memories with you, Joanie. xxx

Memories are good.

Nice knowing you,Feather.

I have just been told by a member of another site that the unlucky aspect of Opals comes from the mining of them.

Wondering what the mining of Opals has to do with giving them bad luck.

That's intriguing I will do some digging later

Good one Violet...'digging'. Maybe because they are so fragile...it is easy to break the good ones.

I know on the opal fields around Winton...there are some strange and wild men and in the past it was not unknown for someone to pull a rifle on someone else and someone all of a sudden go missing...feuds start really easily over claims and 'techniques' amoung gougers and gem fossickers....the lure of the money, I expect.

That's horrible



I did do a bit of digging ....http://www.4information.com/trivia/opals-considered-unlucky/