Historical superstitions

In the Middle Ages, opal was considered a stone that could provide great luck because it was believed to possess all the virtues of each gemstone whose color was represented in the color spectrum of the opal.[11] Victorian superstitions were created by the established gem dealers to stop the rush to buy opals. They paid an author to attribute bad luck to the stone, though some believed this is avoided if opal is the owner's birthstone or if the stone was a gift. Even as recently as under the last czar at the beginning of the 20th century, it was believed that when a Russian of any rank saw an opal among other goods offered for sale, he or she should not buy anything more since the opal was believed to embody the evil eye.[11] Opal is considered the birthstone for people born in October.