The opal has fallen in and out of favor throughout history. It went through a particularly tough time in the early and middle 1800's, when a novel by Sir Walter Scott cursed the opal as a bad-luck talisman. The opal emerged from the fog of superstition in the late 19th century (this coincided with the discovery of abundant opal mines in Australia which made the gem suddenly affordable, hmmm). This elegant Edwardian fringe necklace in made in gold with a luminous array of opal cabochons.