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People have long placed their faith in the protective powers of amulets and talismans, using such charms both to ward off evil and to attract good fortune. While most anything can be designated a good luck piece (the briefest of visits to any bingo hall will prove that), over time certain properties have come to be associated with the items most commonly worked into these guardians; namely, gemstones. These properties can be positive or negative or a mixture of both, in that sometimes a particular type of jewel (or valuable substance we regard as being in the same class as gemstones, such as pearl and coral) can contain both good and bad elements. Fortunately, lore provides remedies for many of particular stones' baleful influences, leaving us free to wear our favorite bijous without fear that we are attracting harm to ourselves. For instance, just as you must never give or accept a gift of a knife (lest it sever the friendship), so you must never give or accept a gift of opals or pearls. Both these precious substances must be purchased if their dire influences are to be countered. One buys a string of pearls by handing its presenter a small sum, such as a dollar or a quarter, thereby making a financial transaction of it. Likewise, one buys opals the same way — a quarter or two is immediately handed over to break the curse of these stones. Opals are further countered by wearing them in settings that incorporate diamonds, the one being said to have power over the other. This list provides information about the purported properties of various precious gems and like substances: This list provides information about the purported properties of various semi-precious gems and like substances: Certain famous gems are purported to have curses attached to them, such as the Hope Diamond and the Black Orlov. These curses have little to do with the innate properties of the stones themselves but rather are products of the histories of each of these gems.
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