The Opal is a very fun and enchanting stone to watch. The "fire" or many colors of the opal is very mesmerizing. The Romans were the first to popularize the Opal about 100 BC. They named it opalus, which means "to see a change of color". The Opal was prized above all their other precious stones. They believed that the holder of an Opal would be charmed with good fortune. Most people today believe that Opals bring misfortune, sorrow and bad luck which is untrue and based upon a unfounded reference that misfortune was associated with Opals by Sir Walter Scott in his novel Anne of Gierstein. Opals have been used in many of the European Crown Jewels and continue to be very popular the rich and famous. It is considered to be one of the seven sacred stones of the Cherokee people. The white Opal is also believed to bring a great deal of energy to your body, helping you accomplish more, making you more productive.