Opal has been thought for many years as a gem stone which brings misfortune. This rumor has long been believed to have originated from a novel by Sir Walter Scott, Anne of Geierstein. However, this is not true. In reality, Scott used in his novel a superstition of his days that opal brings misfortune, and not in the reverse way. This superstition is probably originated from the brittle property and mysterious color of opal. In this papar, the history of the use of opal is described, followed by the description of the history of discovery and geological setting of opal mines, and a discussion on the definition and terminology of opal.
