I saw this thread and ran to the other room to put on my opal earrings. I got worried that I wasnt wearing them enough.

Can you keep opal from drying out? (just by rubbing them?) Or, are they going to dry out no matter what you do?(so wear them and wear them often)

I too have heard my whole life that only people w/ October birthdays should wear opals. However, when I was younger and had first gotten my ears pierced, my mom bought me a pair of opal stud earrings. She told me it would be okay to wear them since they were a gift. I rarely wear them though, b/c I'm concerned it will bring bad luck! :p

My badge is white gold and is surrounded by opals. It is beautiful, and I've never seen another one like it. I also have an October birthday, so I guess its ok for me to wear :) .

My understanding is that the anti-opal superstition applies only to engagement rings. An opal engagement ring is bad luck unless the bride was born in October. The same is true of a pearl engagement ring - a pearl ring is bad luck unless the bride was born in June.

Other jewelry is ok. (I hope it's ok, as all AEPhi badges include 27 pearls, and I was not born in June!)

This is also how I've heard it. I adore opals; I think they're more beautiful than just about any other gemstone, and they are so much less expensive than rubies or diamonds. I was born in May, and I wear opal earrings without any hesitation.

One of my first rings given to me by my parents was a small opal ring. I treasured it so much.

I didn't know about the superstition with opals until I went to college. Wouldn't you know, the stone came out about a week or so later. :(

Yes. It's the same with pearls. You aren't supposed to get them wet, either.

Interesting that you say that! I just heard someone say that you should never borrow a pearl necklace from someone, that the pearls should have your own natural oils/scent to them. Of course, it could be pr from a jeweler, too!

I roomed with an Australian girl years ago. She rubbed hers with petroleum jelly periodically.

I have never heard any of this before! Wow, you learn something new every day! I do love opals, my mom has an amazing opal ring she bougt when she lived in Seattle back in the 70's. I am going to call her and tell her it needs to be hydrated. (I'm also going to steal it from her one of these days!)

Another way to keep them from drying out is to place them in a jewelry box near a small glass (like a shot glass) of water and keep the jewelry box in a cool place. If you've ever gone to Mexico, particularly to the better jewelry stores in Cabo, Cancun, Acapulco, etc., you'll see that they keep small shot glasses of water in the jewelry cases. It's actually good for all jewelry because it helps keep the air humid and the gems/stones hydrated.

This just made me think of the opal ring my mother gave me- it's beautiful but the opal is really loose in the setting. I should get that fixed, I love that ring.

I have a very unique necklace that belonged to my maternal grandmother. It has small silver "pistel" leaves holding a small glass orb that is filled with water and rough opal pieces. It's my favorite necklace ever, and I only get to wear it on very special occasions.

can org pins still be made with opals? like a "special order" maybe?

the only ones i've seen are on ebay and are dated long ago?

Let me get this straight -- you guys are so superstitious that you would refuse to wear a jewel you liked simply because there's a negative superstition associated with it? That's so weird to me. Granted, I'm not particularly superstitious, either, but . . . wow.

I found mine on ebay. I've never seen one in a catalog before.