The Creation of Opal...

The God of Storms became jealous of the Rainbow God and in rage shattered the rainbow.  As the pieces feel to earth they were petrified and became Opals.

Arab Tradition - Opals are remnants of lightning strikes to the ground and the flashes in the stone are the captured lightning.

Norse Myth - refers to a sacred stone of opal-like description called yarkastein.  A clever smith Volomer (the Scandinavian name for Vulcan) formed in a gruesome way - formed these gems from children's eyes he had stolen. Opal was often given as a cure for diseases of the eye.

Hermoine, the enchanted princess:

Hermoine was created from a magic lamp, which vanished when she appeared.  She was the granddaughter of a Persian shaman and the daughter of a magician. She was married to a wealthy baron and gave birth to a beautiful daughter.  At the christening of their child, Hermoine wore a brilliant opal in her hair.  The stone would mimic her moods, when happy it will sparkle and shoot red fire when angry.  During the christening, holy water splashed on the gem and turned it into a lifeless opal, at the same time princess Hermoine fell to the floor.  All that night the storm and lightning raged the castle.  The next day the Baron came to wake her and found a pile of ashes on the bed and all that is left is the lifeless Opal.

The Mystic Ring of Gyges: Greek

Gyges was a poor shepherd in the service of the King of Lydia.  His romantic life was unsatisfying, so he left home in search of a woman.  During his journey he found himself in the midst of a violent earthquake.  He came into the brink of a newly created chasm - he entered the chasm's depths and was amazed to find a hollow brazen horse and small openings in its sides.  He peers inside and saw the body of a man and on his finger was a glittering opal ring.  Gyges entered and removed the ring with haste and hurried out of the chasm and returned home.

Once a month the king's shepherds would report to their monarch. The shepherds assembled to prepare their reports and stories.  Gyges, anxious to relate his good fortune sat and nervously twisted his newly found ring on his finger.  As he turned the setting of the ring toward his hand a strange thing happened, the other shepherds looked in his direction and exclaimed that he had disappeared.  Surprised he reversed the position and was welcomed back.

Returning home, Gyges experimented with his new possession and became convinced he now owned a wondrous ring and could carry out his romantic ambitions.  At the next gathering of the shepherds he asked to be the one to bring the reports to the King.  When he arrived at the palace he ignored the guards giving directions and instead went to the queens room.  Before he entered the queen's chamber he twisted his ring to become invisible and made love to the queen.  He then proceeded to murder the king.  Impressed his romantic prowess, the queen married Gyges and made him king, the two reigned happily ever after.