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Opal Quotes

Browse 48 quotes about Opal.

Opal Quotes

“He slid a ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand. It was the most breathtaking ring she had ever seen, a flawless silver opal with flashes of blue and green fire hidden deep inside. With every movement of her hand, the opal glimmered with unearthly color. It was encircled by a rim of glittering small diamonds. "This reminded me of your eyes," he said. "Only not nearly as beautiful.”

Wedding RingOpalCatherine And LeoLeo HathawayCatherine Marks
Book:Married by Morning
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“Let us suppose that this ounce of mud is left in perfect rest, and that its elements gather together, like to like, so that their atoms may get into the closest relations possible. Let the clay begin. Ridding itself of all foreign substance, it gradually becomes a white earth, already very beautiful; and fit, with help of congealing fire, to be made into finest porcelain, and painted on, and be kept in kings’ palaces. But such artificial consistence is not its best. Leave it still quiet to follow its own instinct of unity, and it becomes not only white, but clear; not only clear, but hard; not only clear and hard, but so set that it can deal with light in a wonderful way, and gather out of it the loveliest blue rays only, refusing the rest. We call it then a sapphire. Such being the consummation of the clay, we give similar permission of quiet to the sand. It also becomes, first, a white earth, then proceeds to grow clear and hard, and at last arranges itself in mysterious, infinitely fine, parallel lines, which have the power of reflecting not merely the blue rays, but the blue, green, purple, and red rays in the greatest beauty in which they can be seen through any hard material whatsoever. We call it then an opal. In next order the soot sets to work; it cannot make itself white at first, but instead of being discouraged, tries harder and harder, and comes out clear at last, and the hardest thing in the world; and for the blackness that it had, obtains in exchange the power of reflecting all the rays of the sun at once in the vividest blaze that any solid thing can shoot. We call it then a diamond. Last of all the water purifies or unites itself, contented enough if it only reach the form of a dew-drop; but if we insist on its proceeding to a more perfect consistence, it crystallizes into the shape of a star. And for the ounce of slime which we had by political economy of competition, we have by political economy of co-operation, a sapphire, an opal, and a diamond, set in the midst of a star of snow.”

SnowDiamondOpalGemstonesSapphire
Book:Modern Painters: Volume 5. Of Leaf Beauty. Of Cloud Beauty. Of Ideas of Relation
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“Cutting and polishing an opal is a great skill. The outer casing has to be removed with a diamond saw and then it is shaped. The Romans mastered the art thousands of years ago." Della ran her finger over the stone. "Where did the name opal come from?" "From the Sanskrit meaning 'precious stone,' and later the Greek derivative opallios, meaning 'a change of color'.”

ColorsPreciousOpalName Meaning
Book:The Woman in the Green Dress
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“I fight against the gluttony of time with so many very amusing weapons with gestures and with three attitudes and with charming phrases; with tears and with tinsel, and with sugar-coated pills, and with platitudes slightly regilded. Yes, and I fight him also with little mirrors wherein gleam confusedly the corruptions of lust, and ruddy loyalty, and a bit of moonshine, and the pure diamond of the heart's desire, and the opal cloudings of human compromise: but, above all, I fight that ravening dotard with the strength of my own folly.”

HumansHeartLittlesDesireFightingThreeBitsMy OwnAttitudeTearsPureWeaponsMirrorsCorruptionLoyaltyLustCompromisePhrasesFollySugarGesturesDiamondCharmingPillsAmusingGleamGluttonyPlatitudesOpalMoonshineTinsel
Book:The Witch-woman: A Trilogy about Her
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“Black was bestlooking. ... Ebony was the best wood, the hardest wood; it was black. Virginia ham was the best ham. It was black on the outside. Tuxedos and tail coats were black and they were a man's finest, most expensive clothes. You had to use pepper to make most meats and vegetables fit to eat. The most flavorsome pepper was black. The best caviar was black. The rarest jewels were black: black opals, black pearls.”

MenUseBlackFitClothesWoodsHardestMeatExpensiveVegetablesTailsFinestCoatsPearlsJewelsVirginiaHamPeppersCaviarTuxedosOpalExpensive ClothesBlack Pearl
Author:Ann Petry
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“There are minerals called hydrophanous, which are not transparent till they are immersed in water, when they become so; as the hydrophane, a variety of opal. So it is with many a Christian. Till the floods of adversity been poured over him, his character appears marred and clouded by selfishness and worldly influences. But trials clear away the obscurity, and give distinctness and beauty to his piety.”

GivingCharacterChristianWaterClearInfluenceAdversityTrialsVarietySelfishnessFloodWorldlyTransparentPietyObscurityMineralsCloudedOpal
Author:Roswell Dwight Hitchcock
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“There is in them a softer fire than the ruby, there is the brilliant purple of the amethyst, and the sea green of the emerald - all shining together in incredible union. Some by their splendor rival the colors of the painters, others the flame of burning sulphur or of fire quickened by oil.”

TogetherFireSeaColorGreenShiningUnionsIncrediblesOilBrilliantPainterBurningFlamesJewelsPurpleRivalsJewelrySplendorGemsRubiesEmeraldsOpalAmethystJewelry Boxes
Author:Pliny the Elder
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“Now I can do the bolts," she slurred. "I've been trying to focus enough magic all week." The magic shifted and swirled, finally etching a picture in the air. It was a rough picture of Foaly, and he was laughing. I hate you, centaur!" screamed Opal, lunging toward, and then through, the insubstantial image. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and then she collapsed, snoring, on the floor. Artemis straightened his tie. Freud, he was certain, would have a field day with that.”

TryingI CanEnoughEyeCertainHateCan DoLaughingFocusMagicAirWeekFieldsI HateTiesRoughHer EyesHate YouI Hate YouBoltsArtemisSnoringOpalCentaursEtching
Author:Eoin Colfer
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“From his soft fur, golden and brown, Goes out so sweet a scent, one night I might have been embalmed in it By giving him one little pet. He is my household's guardian soul; He judges, he presides, inspires All matters in his royal realm; Might he be fairy? or a god? When my eyes, to this cat I love Drawn as by a magnet's force, Turn tamely back upon that appeal, And when I look within myself, I notice with astonishment The fire of his opal eyes, Clear beacons glowing, living jewels, Taking my measure, steadily.”

GivingLooksLittlesHas BeensSoulMatterMightEyeNightTurnsForceClearFireInspireSweetJudgingCatGoldenAppealsRealmsFairyPetBrownHouseholdScentRoyalJewelsMight Have BeenGuardianOne NightGlowingFurMagnetAstonishmentBeaconsOpal
Book:The Flowers of Evil
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“There was a feeling, not sudden, but complete, as though I had been given a small object to hold unseen in my hands. Precious as opal, smooth as jade, weighty as a river stone, more fragile than a bird's egg. Infinitely still, live as the root of Creation. Not a gift, but a trust. Fiercely to cherish, softly to guard. The words spoke themselves and disappeared into the groined shadows of the roof.”

StillsFeelingsHandsGivenCreationObjectsBirdShadowRiversStonesRootsEggsSpokesCherishFragileRoofSmoothUnseenJadeOpalSmall Objects
Book:The Outlander Series 8-Book Bundle: Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone, Written in My Own Heart's Blood
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“Surely Love is a wonderful thing. It is more precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals. Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it, nor is it set forth in the marketplace. It may not be purchased of the merchants, for can it be weighed out in the balance for gold.”

MayLove IsWonderfulFineBalanceGoldPearlsWonderful ThingsMarketplaceMerchantsEmeraldsOpalPomegranates
Book:The Happy Prince and Other Tales (Illustrated)
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“Why can't I solve this problem by killing someone? she though petulantly, then comforted herself with the mantra that had kept her going in prison: "Soon all the humans will be dead," she said, droning in the time-honored fashion of gurus everywhere. "And then Opal will be loved." And even if I'm not loved, she thought, at least all the humans will be dead.”

IfsHumansSaidProblemFashionPrisonKillingSolveHonoredGuruMantrasOpalKilling Someone
Author:Eoin Colfer
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“The first pair Opal and Amber are, Agate sings in B flat, the wolf avatar, A duet-solutio! - with Aquamarine. Mighty Emerald next, with the lovely Citrine. Number Eight is digestio, her stand is Jade fine. E major's the key of the Black Tourmaline, Sapphire sings in F major, and bright is her sheen. Then almost at once comes Diamond alone, Whose sign of the lion as Leo is known. Projectio! Time flows on, both present and past. Ruby red is the first and is also the last.”

FirstsLastsPastNextBlackNumbersKnownKeysFineMajorsRedFlowEightLovelyPairsFlatsLionsDiamondAmberRubiesEmeraldsJadeDuetsOpalSapphires
Author:Kerstin Gier
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“Do you know what a pearl is and what an opal is? My soul when you came sauntering to me first through those sweet summer evenings was beautiful but with the pale passionless beauty of a pearl. Your love has passed through me and now I feel my mind something like an opal, that is, full of strange uncertain hues and colours, of warm lights and quick shadows and of broken music.”

KnowsFeelsMindFirstsSoulLightBeautifulStrangeSweetBrokenSummerShadowWarmMy SoulEveningColourDo You KnowPaleUncertainPearlsSaunteringHueOpalSummer Evening
Book:The Complete Works of James Joyce: Novels, Short Stories, Plays, Poetry, Essays & Letters: Ulysses, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Finnegan’s Wake, Dubliners, The Cat and the Devil, Exiles, Chamber Music, Pomes Penyeach, Stephen Hero, Giacomo Joyce, Critical Writings & more
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“I humbly thank the gods benign, For all the blessings that are mine... The morning drips her dew for me, Noon spreads an opal canopy. Home-bound, the drifting cloud-crafts rest Where sunset ambers all the west; Soft o'er the poppy-fields of sleep, The drowsy winds of dreamland creep. What idle things are wealth and fame Beside the treasures one could name!”

HomeNamesWealthSleepMorningFieldsMinesWindGratitudeBlessingFameWestBoundsCloudsSpreadTreasureCraftsSunsetIdleCreepsDewNoonDriftingBenignAmberPoppiesDrowsyOpalCanopyDreamland
Author:Robert Loveman
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