Opals As A Birthstone...

Opals are the worst birthstone possible.  They are fragile, bad luck, and mostly colorless booger looking things.  Unless they look like these...

(clockwise from top left) Judy Geib Machu Picchu Opal Cuff Bracelet with Enamel Mosaic Back, $14,680, judygeibplusalpha.com | Monique Péan Peruvian Opal and White Diamond Necklace, 18K Recycled White Gold, $15,820, barneys.com | Moonstone, Platinum and Diamond 'Cluster' Ear Clips, $29,500, Verdura, 212-758-33884. | Irene Neuwirth, One-of-a-Kind 18K White and Yellow Gold Earrings Set with Boulder Opals, Crystal Opals and Mixed Shape Rose Cut Diamonds, $57,820, Barneys, 212-826-89005. | 'Liberty Island' Ring Featuring Black Opal, Diamonds and Black Spinels Set in 18K White Gold, price upon request, Van Cleef & Arpels, 877-826-2533.  How nice of VC&A to provide their phone number!

These are magnificent examples of opals.  With my October birthday, I received many opals over the years and absolutely none of them looked like the above.  All are broken and many are missing...I have no clue where most of them are.  And that's OK as they supposedly reek with bad luck.  However, I was recently organizing my jewelry and found a memorable opal ring I received when I was around 13 or so.  The mounting was marquise shaped with multiple small, round opals on top rather than one large stone.  I remember losing one of the little opals right away and my mother, ever resourceful and crafty, actually dropped a dollop of Elmer's Glue into the missing hole, allowed it to set, and voila!, fake stand in opal at your disposal. I wore the ring like that, passing the glue off for an opal, for years.  And, guess what...although the drop of glue shrunk and hardened a little over the years, it was still there.