For such a beautiful gemstone Opals have not been entirely loved throughout history, in fact they have had quite a tough time at some points. From the beginning of history gemstones have always had certain beliefs attributed to them. Opals on the other hand have had a mixed history. Generally Opals have had an evil superstition attached to them. Witches and sorcerers supposedly used black opals to increase their own magical powers or to focus them like laser beams on people they wanted to harm.
During the time that the Hungarian mines supplied Europe with Opals, including a stone for the crown of a Roman Emperor, superstitions circulated attributing evil powers and maladies to the colourful stone.
This fear and loathing of the opal did not discourage the development of a counter folklore which cast the stone as a symbol of hope, innocence, and purity. Fair-haired girls in Germany and Scandinavia were encouraged to wear opal pins in their hair, as they were thought to add magical lustre to their golden locks and protect them from freezing rain, wind, and other vicissitudes of the Nordic climate. During the late 18th and 19th centuries opal fell out of favour, as it was associated with pestilence, famine and the fall of monarchies.
During the decimation of Europe by the Black Death, it was rumoured that an opal worn by a patient was aflame with colour right up to the point of death, and then lost its brilliance after the wearer died.
Vowing to get even, the Comtesse sent the couple a wedding present in the form of a magnificent opal set in a huge ring of the purest gold. The princess was immediately smitten by the gift and insisted that her husband slip it on her finger. He obliged, and two months later the princess mysteriously died.
After the funeral Alfonzo gave the ring to his grandmother, Queen Christina, who almost immediately thereafter also expired. Maria died as well, apparently victim to the same weird illness that had taken the other two women. Deeply depressed by then, the King decided to end it all by slipping the ring on his own finger, just as Cleopatra had embraced the asp to terminate her own misery.
In little over a month, the ring did to Alfonzo what the snake had done to the Egyptian Queen. The ring was finally attached to a gold chain and strung around the neck of a statue of the patron saint of Madrid, the Virgin of Alumdena. That put an end to the incredible chain of tragic circumstances, but was the gem really responsible for the calamities besetting this royal family?
According to Kozminsky, it seems pretty unlikely. It attacked all classes from the palace of the king to the hut of the peasant, some accounts giving the death estimate at 50 percent 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 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 repulsion man, stones, metals and all natural objects come under the same law. The Romans believed that Opals were a combination of the beauty of all the precious stones, and it is well documented in Roman history that Caesars gave their wives Opal for good luck.
This entry was posted on October 11, by Hannah Gibson. I am currently wearing silver and gold together now and I am having a great day. Apart from being wrong if you do buy into this superstition you are in danger of losing out on an incredible fashion trend at the moment. Silver and gold or gold vermeil is a huge fashion statement.
I have been worried about this for years. Right did not turn up. For years I have been wearing a ring on my right hand side finger as to not damage my white dress dream. I am all for this superstition. The charm craze is still in full swing with Thomas Saboand Links Of London being ahead of the game.
Silver and gold charms have also been mixed together for SS13 collections. Charms are bought more often for gifts and attaching a meaning to a charm is a perfect symbol of affection from the giver to receiver. Take the popular four leaf clover: each leaf has a different meaning — one for faith, hope, love and luck.
Which Gemstones Are Unlucky?
Even if this charm does not bring you luck it still looks cute! The Hamsa Hand is said to protect against evil. This ancient Middle Eastern amulet, often used in jewellery, symbolises the hand of God and is believed to be a protective symbol which brings its owner luck, happiness, health and good fortune. This ritual is steeped in history and tradition and if anything else the jewellery designs are beautiful by ChloBo. There are different interpretations in religion as to whom this hand belongs to; but the meaning runs uncompromised as protective.
Jewellery throughout history has been worn to enable the wearer power and certainty over situations out of their control or understanding. It was the Romans who eventually deemed opal as precious gemstone. To this day, in many Eastern countries, jewellers will not sell opals for fear of its evil properties.
There is nothing to say that this stone is unlucky and it cannot possibly be ignored completely out of jewellery designs as the lustre of opals can compare to that of a beautiful diamond. Pearls are said to represent tears and are so deemed as bad luck to wear on your wedding day.
If you wear pearls on your wedding day this may mean you will have tears throughout your marriage. This superstition, besides being an old wives tale, is unfortunate for the believer. Pearls look fabulous worn with white or ivory.
If you have your hair up on your big day then white pearl drop earrings will look very elegant especially designs by Jersey Pearl. Rosary beads are used in Roman Catholic silent prayer and meditation.
ChloBo have crafted stunning versions of the rosary bead necklace that you can also attach pendants onto. This is a good and useful superstition. Look but you cannot touch. Taking your engagement ring off is said to be bad luck for the bride to be.Remember, storytelling sells.
Perhaps the gemstone superstitions below will help to seal the deal on a few gemstones and jewelry items in the weeks to come. This gemstone superstition is nothing to cry over. Plus, no one specified which type of tears will be shed. In China, Jade carries centuries of gemstone superstitions. Jade bangles are commonly worn for protection and can shield away negative energies, too. Therefore, a cracked bangle is rendered helpless and no longer fit for protection.
Chinese culture has a spiritual connection to Jade gemstones that stretches back thousands of years. Until recently, the Chinese valued fine Jade more highly than Diamonds. And many still do. Jade gemstones symbolize status, spirituality, purity, and health.
Perhaps you can use them in your lapidary practice or incorporate them into other jewelry applications. But legend holds that the stone is only meant for certain people. For some, Blue Sapphire will bring fortune beyond measure, good health, and a lifetime of prosperity. But for others, the stone will immediately cast darkness and chaos. The wearer should spend a few nights with the Blue Sapphire under their pillow. If they experience nightmares or bad fortune, they should return the stone at once.
Our best advice is to be mindful of other cultures and traditions. If a customer purchases Blue Sapphire jewelry and returns within a few days, try your best to work out a mutually beneficial solution. With that said — along with all the other gemstone superstitions — most myths are baseless. After all, there are countless Blue Sapphire engagement ring examples, starting with Kate Middleton and Princess Diana. The matrix is prized for many reasons— including the belief that it absorbs evil.
Turquoise is also said to bring happiness and good fortune to those who wear it. It can keep husbands and wives together and also, when given with good intentions, it is said to remove any bad blood between the giver and its recipient. Turquoise seems to embody all that is good when it comes to healthy relationships.
This is a Lab-Created Diamond grown from the ashes of someone who has passed on. During those fourteen frightful days, chaos ensued. There were countless software crashes and mysteriously lost CAD files. Wax models went missing, only to reappear, then vanish again.
Lights flickered in the hallways. Do you have goosebumps? Are you afraid of any of these gemstone superstitions? And feel free to share your own superstitions, too! My body weight is 58 kg. I use for Venus purpose. Clarity must be first priority.Everybody wants their wedding day to go without a hitch, and many couples spend hours planning their special day down to the minute — but there are some things that you may have no control over.
5 wedding jewellery superstitions
Here are 5 spooky stories of wedding jewellery superstitions from years gone by. Are they true? Photo credit. This superstition is thought to relate back to the infamy of Friday 13 thwhich is a notoriously unlucky day, but there are many day-related superstitions when it comes to weddings.
For instance, Wednesday is considered to be the best day to get married, but Monday is good for wealth and Tuesday is good for health. Saturday is supposedly the most unlucky day to get married — despite the fact that the majority of modern couples choose Saturday for their big day! Photo Credit.
Many brides choose to borrow an item of their wedding jewellery from a close friend or family member, either because of their love for a particular piece, or its increased sentimental value. Whilst this is a lovely tradition, some people believe that this jewellery should only be borrowed from someone who has an existing happy marriage, lest the bride risk the happiness of her own!
It is said to be tempting fate for a woman to wear every aspect of her bridal outfit altogether before the big day, in a similar vein to the superstition about not practising writing your married name before the ceremony.
For this reason, many women choose not to wear their shoes, veil, dress and jewellery simultaneously. This superstition is somewhat contradictory.
According to folklore, dropping the ring during a marriage ceremony is extremely bad luck, and rather morbidly, the very superstitious believe that whoever drops it will be the first one to die. If a ring is put on correctly, but falls of its own accord, the groom should be the one to put it back on, to ward off the threatened even that supposedly approaches.
There Margaret Appleby created personal, beautiful pieces for a select circle of customers. The family tradition and ideas are carried on by three of their sons Gerard, Joseph and Mark Appleby who share the same beliefs and customs. They know the fine hand-crafted jewellery is at the heart of a tradition they share with each of our customers to this day.
Appleby Jewellers have continued to maintain the highest levels of service and quality for their customers over the years. At Appleby, Our number one commitment is to offer our customers only the very best in quality and value. Wow, very nice collection. Thanks for this post.One of the best-known jewelry superstitions warns against wearing pearls on the wedding day.
Supposedly, pearls forecast tears in a marriage. Other stories suggest pearls only bring tears if you buy them for yourself. First and foremost, pearls are meant for frequent wear. Wearing them often enhances their luster and color.
They can dry and crack. After each wearing, wipe pearls with a damp cloth to remove hairspray or other damaging chemicals. And what about selling pearls to a bride for her wedding day? For generations, brides have made pearls tradition so sell her the most beautiful pearls you have and wish her the best!
Interestingly enough, some of the earliest recorded mentions of diamonds come from ancient Indian literature. Diamonds were associated with purity, cleanliness, and tied to the Hindu deity Indra — King of all Gods. Know your audience. In addition to such intriguing mythology, use this backstory to promote higher-quality diamonds, especially to the appropriate audience. In some cultures, evil eye jewelry is worn when babies are born. The eye offers protection and good luck, too.
Turquoise can supposedly protect against the evil eye as well. Some cultures look to silver for protection against evil forces. And perhaps this superstition holds some truth. Silver has antibacterial attributes and was used throughout history to cure infections. Consider the term silverware. Silver was used in utensils and other tableware because of its germ-killing properties. While you may not have an evil eye pendant in your cases, you almost surely have sterling silver.
Not only is sterling silver affordable, but it also carries interesting historical context and will drive bad juju away. Here are our suggestions for trendy, yet affordable silver jewelry. Perhaps the most popular of all jewelry superstitions, many consider opal a talisman for bad luck to all except those born in October.
Some say another exception exists for opal received on special occasions. Like pearls, you should never buy opal for yourself. Rumor has it that opal earned its bad reputation over a century ago when quality Australian Opal began to threaten diamond commerce.
Diamond traders made up falsehoods about opal to make the stone less desirable. Their efforts may have paid off since we still hear about the opal omen to this day. This one is tricky. We would recommend offering opal to anyone with an October birthday. However, when customers want to gift themselves with a celebratory birthday opal but hesitate because of the superstition, just tell them the truth!
Some jewelry superstitions warn against handing down heirlooms to new brides and grooms, especially if the diamond came from a rocky relationship.
Supposedly, heirloom jewelry from a failed marriage could impart negative energy onto the new relationship, thereby dooming the new union. Some jewelry companies capitalize on this superstition. Interestingly enough, amethyst translates to amethystuswhich means not intoxicated. She hoped to remain chaste, so she prayed for protection and was magically transformed into a white slab of quartz.People have long placed their faith in the protective powers of amulets and talismans, using such charms both to ward off evil and to attract good fortune.
While most anything can be designated a good luck piece the briefest of visits to any bingo hall will prove thatover time certain properties have come to be associated with the items most commonly worked into these guardians; namely, gemstones. These properties can be positive or negative or a mixture of both, in that sometimes a particular type of jewel or valuable substance we regard as being in the same class as gemstones, such as pearl and coral can contain both good and bad elements.
For instance, just as you must never give or accept a gift of a knife lest it sever the friendshipso you must never give or accept a gift of opals or pearls. Both these precious substances must be purchased if their dire influences are to be countered.
Opals are further countered by wearing them in settings that incorporate diamonds, the one being said to have power over the other. This list provides information about the purported properties of various precious gems and like substances:.
Wearing one into court is a good idea because the stone is said to ensure victory in legal wrangles. The wearing of pearls is said to cure madness, and also to be beneficial in the treatment of jaundice, and snake and insect bites. Pearls are also believed to cure depression in women. On the plus side, opals improve eyesight and may even grant the power of invisibility.
Opals also are said to turn pale in the presence of poison and to lose their shine once their owners die. Also, while white or milky opals are regarded as horribly jinxed, black opals are thought extremely lucky.
A Stroke of Luck: Jewelry Superstitions
This list provides information about the purported properties of various semi-precious gems and like substances:. Red coral is especially beneficial, offering protection to ships and houses against storms.
However, some associate the stone with corruption and decay and point to its history of use in alchemy and necromancy. Certain famous gems are purported to have curses attached to them, such as the Hope Diamond and the Black Orlov.
These curses have little to do with the innate properties of the stones themselves but rather are products of the histories of each of these gems. Networks from the Balkans nation are deploying divisive content and patriotic nostalgia, echoing past foreign election-interference campaigns. The coronavirus responsible for COVID has deadly adaptations that make it perfect for infecting humans.
But this is a testament to natural selection, not bioengineering. The story of a Texas woman who reportedly shared a Facebook post claiming the coronavirus outbreak was a hoax — and later reportedly died from the virus — reminds us of the dangerous potential of misinformation.
The computer magnate believes that vaccines can be used to reduce childhood mortality and ultimately reduce population growth through associated social changes, not as an agent of death. A fresh meme resurrected and combined some stale claims that we had already investigated at length. Help Snopes. Become a Founding Member! Claim Luck and ill-luck attributed to a variety of gems.
Rating Legend About this rating. Do you rely on Snopes reporting? Become a member today. Origin People have long placed their faith in the protective powers of amulets and talismans, using such charms both to ward off evil and to attract good fortune.Is someone giving you the evil eye or poking pins into your little wax lookalike?
Grab a ring with a black stone and let's get binding their powers! You will need : A ring with a black stone. Focus on the ring and recite the following spell:.
Place the ring on a table, fill it with peppercorns, and recite the following incantation: "Never ending, never bending, circle round their name bound" Hey presto, your ring is now a ring of protection!
Wear it for at least the next few days, and whenever you feel the magic waning just repeat the incantation to give it a boost. The curious case of the cursed jewellery! Only God or woman can wear it with impunity ". With Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II being the two longest serving monarchs in British history it seems there could be some truth in that!
But our favourite cursed piece can we have a favourite? Delhi Purple Sapphire. This piece was discovered hidden in London's Natural History Museum where it was found locked inside seven strong boxes with a note proclaiming it was. His son, who inherited the gem after his death, suffered the same downturn in luck, and a family friend who borrowed the jewel felt compelled to commit suicide.
In the gem came into the possession of Edward Heron-Allen, the last known owner and the one responsible for imprisoning it within the many boxes. Edward immediately began to feel the effects of the curse and passed the gem to a friend, begging him to get rid of it.
But the friend returned the gem to Edward after being 'overwhelmed by every conceivable disaster". Desperate to be rid of the gem Heron-Allen threw it into a canal, only for it to be returned to him three months later after being found by a dredger.
Byworried that the curse would harm his newborn daughter, Heron-Allen locked the gem away securely within its seven boxes and deposited it in his bank.
Upon his death in his daughter fulfilled his last wish by donating the gem, with Edward's note recommending it be "cast into the sea"to the Museum of Natural History where it remained in storage until its rediscovery in Neither his daughter nor grandchildren ever touched the stone for fear of its curse.
Old wives' tales around jewellery abound, like "cure an eye stye by rubbing a gold wedding band on it" and "placing a pearl under your pillow will help you conceive" but there is none more popular and still in use today than the baby gender test! Whether you have already completed your family, or have yet to start, this wedding ring gender reveal test is noted for its high level of accuracy The baby gender reveal test.
If you are currently pregnant or know someone who is this simple test will reveal the gender of the unborn child. First, have the mum-to-be lie down comfortably and remove her wedding band, or other ring of her own. Pluck a strand of her hair and tie the ring to it - don't worry if the mum-to-be has short hair, cotton or thread will do just as well.