Opal meaning and symbols
Do you want to wear a stone that flashes every color of the rainbow? In Greek, where opallios means “to see a change in color,” the opal gem is pure eye candy. The meaning and symbolism of opals are almost as colorful as the stone itself.
Here are 7 interesting opal meanings.
Because of the way the opal color could appear and disappear, the Greeks believed that opals could make the wearer invisible.
Many considered opal to be beneficial to the eye and wore it to cure eye diseases.
Opals with red color symbolize love and passion. Emperor Napoleon gave Josephine an opal called “The Burning of Troy” to symbolize his love for her. When Queen Elizabeth II married, Australia sent an opal brooch as a wedding fit to symbolize love and marriage. And in 1836, a poet wrote that the constant flashing fire of an opal is the everlasting beating heart of mother for a child.
Since opals show the colors of every jewel, the Romans believed if you dreamt of opal you would soon become rich because you would soon have any jewelry you might want.
Opal is associated with love and hope.
Nomadic Arab tribes believed the opal fell to Earth during thunderstorms and held lightning inside.
In Greek mythology, Zeus' siblings asked him to be their king and to wage war against their cruel father Cronus. Zeus hit his father with a thunderbolt and defeated him. It is said that after emerging victorious, Zeus wept tears which turned to beautiful opals upon hitting the ground!
It is written about opals that “for in them you shall see the living fire of ruby, the glorious purple of the amethyst, the sea-green of the emerald, all glittering together in an incredible mixture of light."
