Sunday, May 20, 2012

Queen Victoria's Superstition

Queen Victoria wearing the Diamond Collet Neck...
Queen Victoria wearing the Diamond Collet Necklace, Earrings and her large diamond bracelet. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)



































Even though I love them, I can't wear opals.

And apparently, neither could Queen Victoria.


 ***


My mother would have walked across the burning Sahara at noon before she would let me wear her opal ring.

"Opals bring bad luck unless you were born in October," she'd say.

But the ring was pretty and because it was hers it was special to me,
so after she passed away I took it to the jeweler and asked if the old superstition was true.



"Oh no!" the jeweler laughed. 

"Queen Victoria started that old story. 

One day she was wearing an opal brooch  that came undone and exposed the royal bosom."

"How dreadful!" I said thinking of the onlookers.



Now I have to tell you that it was Movember and the jeweler was wearing a rather magnificent mustache.    

Luxuriant and waxed to a fine point it was a sight to behold.


I suppose that was what made me decide to go ahead with my plan.

I mean if you can't trust a woman in a mustache, who can you trust?



I had the ring re-sized.



Six weeks later I was in an ambulance on my way to the hospital paralyzed with sciatica.



The next few months passed in a blur of excruciating nonstop pain and drugs. 

Whatever they tell you, believe me when I tell you that Percocet does not come close to easing nerve pain.

The best that can be said is that I eventually discovered that if I took two Percocet and two gravol it  knocked me out for a few hours.



I never wore the ring again.

I've never had sciatica before or since.  



But I don't blame Queen Victoria. 

I'll be out watching the fireworks this weekend with everyone else.



I blame the jeweler.

Jeesh.



It will be years before I trust another woman in a handle bar mustache.




Have a Happy Long Victoria Day Week-end everyone!







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7 comments:

CorvusCorax12 said...

never heard this said about opals,but i'm pretty save, never really wearing jewelry these days...have a great long weekend

Jane said...

I really enjoyed this tale, Francie!! Hmmm.... a very strange 'coincidence' indeed! Has enough time now gone by that you would be willing to try wearing your opal again... or do you deep down inside believe there's some truth to this superstition?

Plowing Through Life (Martha) said...

I've never heard this about opals, but your unfortunate 'coincidence' certainly would make anyone a believer. I still think it's only a coincidence what happened to you, but sometimes an experience like that leaves us superstitious about certain 'coincidences'.

The Dancing Crone said...

I have left instructions in my will for the ring to be sold and it now sits in my safety deposit box.

I should have listened to my mother.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Mom is always right! Glad your sciatica has eased. Keep that ring under lock and key, LOL! Actually, I've never heard that superstition about opals before but I love the Queen Victoria story that goes with it! I've only known one person who had an opal ring and come to think of it, her birthday was in October.

Anonymous said...

Now you see, I'd be tempted to try it again!!

Doug Jamieson said...

I have a vague recollection of my mother mentioning this about opals. Always something to these old wives tales, so beware.