NATHAN.
“In days of yore, there dwelt in east a man
Who from a valued hand received a ring
Of endless worth: the stone of it an opal,
That shot an ever-changing tint: moreover,
It had the hidden virtue him to render
Of God and man beloved, who in this view,
And this persuasion, wore it. “
This is how Gotthold Ephraim Lessing describes the magnificent beauty and value of an opal stone ring in his play Nathan the Wise. The history of this tale dates back to 1100, where it has been described in Sephardic-Jewish stories on the half-island Iberia.
Mankind has always been amazed by a stone that could be seen as “[…] the chameleon of gems- varied as the rainbow, and shifting with every trembling of the light into some new tint beauty” (The Opal. N.P. Willis, preface).
In medieval times, it was said that the opal needs the touch of a warm hand (klb.nilo.de), and it will begin a dance with rainbow colors, and it sparkles even more when turned in sunlight, leading to flame-like reflections. A rainbow is like the kiss between sun and water surrounded by warm air. A truthful kiss is marked by love; and the opal is honored to represent, and stand for the color of love: it is not only red; love, indeed, is every imaginable color.
Rainbows surprise us after a long rain shower, but they do, however, come and go. The opal has the ability to capture this special moment a little longer for us. This stone stands for beautiful creations in life resulting from God and love.
When looking at Greek mythology, it suddenly makes sense that this stone was named after the Roman Goddess of fertility, Ops, wife of Saturn (The World of Opals, Eckert p 56). As a result, the wearer is inspired by the magical qualities of creativity, represented in this ever changing stone. Life is ever changing, sometimes from one day to the next, as sudden as a rainbow.
A rainbow is like a connecting bridge from one to the other side, maybe that is why Lessing chose the colorful opal as a metaphor in his plea for religious tolerance…
What can we learn from the history of opal nowadays?
Let creativity flow into your life, be tolerant and respectful, and you will surely be rewarded with the most blissful colors the world is waiting to share with you.
Mankind has always been amazed by a stone that could be seen as “[…] the chameleon of gems- varied as the rainbow, and shifting with every trembling of the light into some new tint beauty” (The Opal. N.P. Willis, preface).
In medieval times, it was said that the opal needs the touch of a warm hand (klb.nilo.de), and it will begin a dance with rainbow colors, and it sparkles even more when turned in sunlight, leading to flame-like reflections. A rainbow is like the kiss between sun and water surrounded by warm air. A truthful kiss is marked by love; and the opal is honored to represent, and stand for the color of love: it is not only red; love, indeed, is every imaginable color.
Rainbows surprise us after a long rain shower, but they do, however, come and go. The opal has the ability to capture this special moment a little longer for us. This stone stands for beautiful creations in life resulting from God and love.
When looking at Greek mythology, it suddenly makes sense that this stone was named after the Roman Goddess of fertility, Ops, wife of Saturn (The World of Opals, Eckert p 56). As a result, the wearer is inspired by the magical qualities of creativity, represented in this ever changing stone. Life is ever changing, sometimes from one day to the next, as sudden as a rainbow.
A rainbow is like a connecting bridge from one to the other side, maybe that is why Lessing chose the colorful opal as a metaphor in his plea for religious tolerance…
What can we learn from the history of opal nowadays?
Let creativity flow into your life, be tolerant and respectful, and you will surely be rewarded with the most blissful colors the world is waiting to share with you.
The Agas & Tamar Team of New York wishes you lots of colorful fall leaves dancing in the sun!
Sources:
Project Gutenberg Etext Nathan the Wise, by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3820/pg3820.html - viewed Sept 30, 2011
Materialmappe Stadttheater Minden, stadttheatherr-minden.de–viewed Oct 01.2011
The Opal (preface): A pure gift for the holy days, edited by N.P. Willis, John C. Riker, New York 1844
Eckert, Allan W., The World of Opals, John Wiley and Sons, 1997, New York p: 56
Hofmann, Helmut G., Opale, Schaetze aus roter Erde: Auf Opalsuche in Australien, Book on Demand GmbH, Noderstedt 2009 p: 88
Firefly Books, Guideline to Gems, 2004 p: 173
http://klb.nilo.de/archiv/bussgottesdienst98.htm
Opals in South Australia, Minerals and Energy Custom Press 2004 (brochure in cooperation with Australian Gem Industry)
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