Until the mid-14th century, it was considered that opals represented good fortune. But, in the 14th century, when the Black Plague hit Europe, the reputation of opal took a downturn. In this time of crisis, a rumor spread among the people that if the color of their opal became really bright, the owner of that opal jewelry would die. This was how Opal's reputation took a downturn in the mid-14th century. And a similar thing happened in 1829.