I’m not superstitious or especially sentimental, and that’s a good thing because over the years I’ve lost some precious pieces of jewelry – two or three watches, innumerable earrings, and even a few wedding rings. When we married my husband gave me a simple band – not of gold or silver but of jade. I lost it. He also once gave me a lovely pink opal. One day I looked down at my hand and although the ring was still on my finger, I saw that the opal had fallen out...