Post #261303 by Trader Tom on Tue, Oct 17, 2006 3:30 PM

The only other information I could find on Henry was from a November 1954 edition of The Lapidary Journal. You can Google the full article Online, but here's a chopped-down version:

In 1954, Dr. Hubert Eaton was the President and Founder of the world-famous Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA, and owner of one of the most important gem collections in the United States. At some point around then, he acquired two treasures from the South Pacific -- the Pride of Australia opal and an Easter Island stone head named Henry.

The Pride of Australia is shaped like the continent. The 2" x 3" opal has black and blue veins interlaced with brilliant red streaks. By 1954, it had toured at least five World Fairs as "the greatest opal of Australia, and therefore the greatest opal in the world."

Dr. Eaton named his other acquisition "Henry" in honor of his friend, Henry Wendt, who, while on a treasure hunt with Eaton, found the head in a small boat, being used for ballast by natives who were unaware of its value.

Today, visitors can still visit Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA, and see Henry in the park's museum. Unfortunately, the Pride is no longer there, though -- it was stolen in 1961 and never recovered!