GENUINE NATURAL EARTH MINE OPALS AT A BARGAIN PRICE THESE ARE GENUINE 3MM ROUND ETHIOPIAN OPAL STONES AND SOLID STERLING SILVER---- THE STONES HAVE GREAT COLORS THAT CHANGE FROM EVERY ANGLE. GREEN; BLUE; RED; AND ORANGE. IT CHANGES COLOR WITH THE LIGHT. IT IS VERY VERY BEAUTIFUL. I COULD NOT STOP TAKING PICTURES AS EACH ANGLE REVEALED MORE COLOR. AS MUCH COLOR AS A BOX OF CRAYONS. THESE ARE VERY GORGEOUS STONES. I SHIP TO THE UNITED STATES ONLY AND ACCEPT PAY PAL FOR PAYMENT. I WILL USE THE INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PROGRAM FROM E-BAY... THIS IS A VERY GOOD VALUE AND YOU WILL BE PLEASED WITH YOUR PURCHASE. I TAKE PRIDE IN PROVIDING QUALITY PRODUCTS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES. THESE ARE GENUINE OPAL STONES AND SOLID STERLING SILVER----NO CZ'S --NOTHING PLATED. Opal History and Lore Opal is thought to have been discovered as long as 4,000 years ago, and myths and lore abound in practically all cultures. The ancient Greeks thought opal to be the tears of Zeus and prized it as highly as diamonds. They believed opal gave the gift of foresight and prophecy, which would ensure the owner success in war, business and life. The ancient Romans wore opal as a symbol of hope and purity and believed it could cure illness. In ancient India, opal was referred to as the Goddess of the Rainbow, turned to stone. Ancient Arab cultures believed opal had fallen from the sky and that the play of color was trapped lightning. According to Arab lore, opal could make the wearer invisible. The ancient Australian aborigines, however, envisaged a more sinister origin. They thought opal to be half serpent and half devil, and that the brightly colored fire within was an attempt to lure them into the devil's lair. Pliny the Elder in his writings tells of a Roman senator called Nonius who, in 35 BC, owned a ring set with a particularly beautiful opal the size of a hazelnut and valued at 2,000,000 sesterces. Roman General Mark Antony decided he must have Nonius' opal, but when Nonius refused to sell, the enraged Antony banished him. Nonius fled Rome, leaving behind all his possesions, save the opal ring which was the cause of his exile. Opal has been thought to have healing powers in many world cultures, and in the middle ages, it became known as the Opthalmius, or Eye Stone, and was thought to strengthen eyesight. Blonde maidens wore opals to protect their hair from fading or darkening.