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October Birthstone: Quick Guide to Opal and Tourmaline

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October has two birthstones; Tourmaline and Opal. Tourmaline is the modern birthstone for October and is a favorite gemstone for many because it’s available in a rainbow of beautiful colors. Opal is the traditional birthstone for October Opal gemstones are truly unique because each individual gem is adorned with a one-of-a-kind color combination.


5 Things Jewelry Lovers Want to Know About the October Birthstone



Opal is a unique and popular gemstone which lends itself beautifully to jewelry, amongst many other things. Have you ever seen the way an opal’s many colors shine? Read on, and we’ll discuss five weird and cool facts about the popular October birthstone, the opal!



  1. Many believe that opal forms when rain becomes trapped inside of a rock. The rain carries the rock’s crystalline silica downwards. Then, the silica eventually dries out.

  2. In the year 2008, NASA made a very interesting discovery. Opal deposits were found on the planet Mars!

  3. Approximately 95% of the world’s precious October birthstone comes from down under. Opal has been mined in Australia since the year 1875!

  4. Both Ancient Greeks and Romans had specific beliefs about the opal gem stone’s special powers. In Ancient Greece, many people thought that opal could make you psychic! While in Ancient Rome, the popular gemstone was synonymous with hope and love

  5. The varying colors you see in an opal gemstone are a result of the massive amount of diversely sized silica spheres. The spheres cause light to refract and thus create the many different colors on display in the beautiful October birthstone.


What is the October Birthstone Meaning?



Opal, the traditional October birthstone, is believed to have originated in India (the source of the first opals brought to the Western world), where in Sanskrit it was called upala, a “precious stone.” .” In ancient Rome, this became opalus. Most opals are valued for their shifting colors in rainbow hues – a phenomenon known as “play-of-color.”



Tourmaline is the newer October birthstone. The name comes from the Sinhalese word toramalli, which means “stone with mixed colors,” because it often has multiple colors in one crystal. Very few gems match tourmaline’s dazzling array of colors. Perhaps this is why ancient mystics believed this October birthstone could inspire artistic expression – it has a color palette for every mood. Among the most popular are the pink and red rubellites, the emerald green “chrome” tourmalines, and the neon green and blue-to-violet “paraíba” tourmalines.




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