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Opal is a prized gemstone because of its ability to
refract light into milky or opalescent colors. Water is within
its matrix so the silicon and oxygen are not securely bonded like in
quartz. Opal is not as hard as quartz. The color changes depending on
the angle you look at it, delighting the owner with an ever changing
array of colors.
 The
Romans considered opal a symbol of hope because they felt a rainbow was
locked inside the stone. Opals were raindrops from heaven in some Arab
legends, falling in flashes of lightning, thus acquiring their fiery
colors. Once considered the stone of kings, it was the second most
prized gem only to emeralds. Other legends on the opal’s power
persist. Some feel the opal, if worn can cure diseases of the eyes.
Today, some feel the black opal is unlucky but provides magicians with
their powers.
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Black opal from Australia
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