Gemstones are known for their beauty, rarity, and many benefits, although, out of all these gems, the opal is seemingly said to be cursed. Is it true?

According to Black Star Opal, speculations that opal is cursed came from many different sources, most being superstitions going around among people. Most common superstitions are that opals should never be given as a gift or that only those born in October can wear opals because they’re the birthstone of October, which makes
them safe from the curse. Besides the superstitions, the origins of the “curse” are unknown and may not actually exist.

According to Auctions, the rumor of a curse was strengthened through a novel in 1829. There may also be a connection to the bubonic plague in the 1860s and the fall in the popularity of diamonds in the early 20th century. The rumor even has more modern connections with the cursed opal in the Harry Potter series.

Aside from the curse, opals are particularly different from other gemstones. While most gems display one color, opals are iridescent and can display the colors of the rainbow. They’re able to do this because of “their intrinsic microstructure which diffracts white light into all the colors of the spectrum.” says GeoscienceAustrailia.

It seems that opals have been the target of people’s superstitions, but this gemstone is very beautiful and unique. Despite the curse, opals are widely available at jewelry stores and online through various websites, and nobody seems too concerned to sell them to people who were born in a month other than October.