Oh, the opal. Just one of these intriguing gems can contain "the piercing fire of rubies, the purple brilliancy of the amethyst, and the sea-green of the emerald."
Art Nouveau stick pin with carved opal face by Wilhelm Lucas von Cranach. c. 1900. Currently in the collection of the Pforzheim Schmuckmuseum in Germany.
Once upon a time, a Roman senator by the name of Nonius was in possession of a beautiful opal the size of a hazelnut. The oligarch Marc Antony coveted Nonius's opal, and desired to have it for himself. To avoid having to part with the gem, Nonius took it and fled, leaving behind all his other possessions. We can't say we blame him