Bead embroidered collar featuring pink Opals and crystal pearls.
 
The word Opal comes from several places: the Latin word ‘Opalus’, the Greek word ‘Opallios’ and the Sanskrit word ‘Upala’.  In Indian mythology, the Goddess of the Rainbow was turned into an opal by the Mother Goddess because she was being chased by suitors Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Ancient Greeks thought the stone could give the gift of prophecy and protect them from disease. Arabs believed that Opals fell from the heavens in flashes of lightning. During the Middle Ages (5th – 14th centuries) Opal was known as the eye stone due to a belief that it was beneficial to the eyes.
Pink Opal is a type of common opal, and is one of the rarer opal colors, as only a few nations produce the gemstone.