[HPforGrownups] Re: importance of opals

[seaducer9]

No: HPFGUIDX 48311

bboy_mn wrote:
>Can anyone tell me if Opals have a special significants in British or
>French culture? Are there Opal mines in France or one of the countries
>that was a French terrritory? 

>From what I know the largest opal producing country is Australia, a former British penal colony.

 As for why opals are mentioned in canon, well, JKR may have a thing for them, or she may try to create some sort of magical properties in them. Opals for those that do not know are gem stones that are polished with a pattern that traces all through the surface. They can come in all the colors of the rainbow as well as black. 
 I can't remember exactly but in the NW US a few years back "magic gem bags" were popular among the sub-culture, each stone held a different meaning or purpose and the bag was worn as a necklace. Opals were among the most popular stone, with the different colored ones meaning or performing different functions. I was also friends with a few Wicca at that time and opals were very popular with them as well. This may all be nothing, but, well, there it is.

 Drew Z.


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