Dealing with business issues, I blinked and May was gone! But...summer is here again. I’m
enjoying every minute of it. True to
form, Santa Monica is overcast in the morning but, lately it has been clearing
up sooner than usual – YAY! I love to
sit on my porch and soak up the morning sun – it helps me focus. I've been working on more sculptural elements
to my jewelry and enjoying the process.
Sometimes what comes out surprises me, what I started with in my head
took on its own organic form and I’m completely pleased! I love when that happens; it is almost like
the universe is guiding my hands. I've also been commissioned for a painting, YAY AGAIN!
GEM FOR TODAY
OPAL (one of my favorite stones and even more lovely in summer)
Opal is a delicate stone, enhances cosmic consciousness and induces psychic and mystical visions.
Stimulating originality and creativity, opal aids in expressing ones true self.
A karmic stone, it brings back what one puts out and amplifies thoughts and feelings.
Encourages putting out positive sentiments while stabilizing emotional
states.
The orange-red variety enhances personal power,
protects against danger and is a symbol of hope.
Aids in awakening your inner fire and increases confidence.
Myth & Lore
Unfortunately, opal has a bad reputation for being bad luck which
is totally unfounded. The person
responsible for the myth is Sir Walter Scott after publishing his novel, Anne
of Geuerstein in 1829. The
story centered on Hermione, who wore an enchanted opal in her hair, giving off
fiery red flashes when she was angry and sparkled beautifully when she was
happy. Hermione is accused of being a
demon and in the process of an investigation a drop of holy water accidentally falls on the opal and it loses its sparkle.
She falls ill and is then carried to her bed, the next morning all that
is found of Hermione or the opal is a heap ashes. Because of this story, opal was determined to
be bad luck and the public stopped buying the beautiful gemstone contributing
to the decline of the opal market by 50%.
At that time the majority of opals were mined in Europe which had
declined considerably. 50 years later, a
stunning black opal was found in Australia and the market boomed once again,
making Australia the prime source of black and white opals. Surprisingly, Queen Victoria dismissed the superstitions
and presented opals to her daughters on their wedding day – both daughters had
no ill effects. In Asia, the opal is
viewed as a symbol of hope, in medieval times, blond maidens wore opals as it
was a guarantee that their hair would not darken or fade, ensuring their
beauty. The opal was also thought to
make a person invisible and in some circles is called the “patron of thieves.” Opal is considered to have therapeutic qualities
keeping its wearer immune from disease, increase the power of the eyes and the
mind.