Opal

a well known mineral. It is composed chiefly of silica. It differs from quartz in that it contains from three to ten per cent more water. It varies greatly in appearance and quality. The lustre may be glassy, pearly, or resinous. In color it may be white, red, yellow, green, gray, or blue. The best effects are obtained from a rounding surface, so the opal is left uncut. The precious opal is obtained chiefly from Hungary and Australia. It had a reputation among the ancients for magical virtue. Wrapped in a bay leaf, it was supposed to render its possessor invisible and to make him irresistible to the object of his affections. The fire opal of hyacinth red is found in Mexico. It was a favorite gem of the Aztecs. A bluish opal is also found in Mexico and Central America. A more common opal, lacking somewhat in beauty, is found in Pennsylvania, Colorado, and California. A forest of fossilized wood having the appearance of opal was found in Montana in 1903. The most noted opal gem is possessed by the crown of Austria. It is guarded with the royal jewels at Vienna. It is a flashing Hungarian stone two and one-half inches in diameter. See Quartz