Call Us

New York Office

Phone: +1 917 539 9007

Hong Kong Office

Phone:+852 9248 4222
diamond registry logo diamond registry logo About Us

October birthstone

Being a vibrant time of the year, the middle of autumn is symbolized by outstanding jewels - opal and tourmaline. Like an October forest, each birthstone option for this month comes in the picturesque color palette.Let`s look closer at them here!
Why should I know my birthstone?
In the jewelry world, each stone carries not only beautiful appearance but also personal meaning and historical importance. Titled as birthstones, they promise from of old greater luck, richer life, and general prosperity for the owners of a particular month. And for October people, opal and tourmaline are the gemstones to pay attention at in this context.
October Birthstone
Opals October Birthstone
Opals, the gemstones worth your attention
Opals were first found in India, and from Sanskrit, this word means "precious stone." Also, the alternative perception of opals exists: from Greek, it's already translated as "to see the change." Being a moody jewel, the best definition of opal is really "the-play-of-color." That's because till now, many people say that looking at a stone reminds watching a kaleidoscope.
Opals are truly outstanding gemstones, storing all the colors of the world possible. Some people even call opal the Queen of jewels. And that’s true: each opal gemstone is outstandingly beautiful and really unique – just like a snowflake. Opals can look tempting and cold – depending on the appearance, color spectrum, and the special meaning an owner puts into the birthstone. In addition to wide palette, the color of an opal changes while you simply move the jewel. These characteristics make this October birthstone truly incredible!
Here are some curious facts about opals:
Opals October Birthstone 1
In Bedouin culture, people believed that opal can hold lightning during the thunderstorms. In their turn, Australian aborigines saw in opals the footprints of God.
Opals October Birthstone 2
Ancient Greeks thought that owing an opal can gift prophecy. When Greece became a part of the Roman Empire, it was already associated with love and hope.
Opals October Birthstone 3
Pluni, the famous Roman scholar, was deeply impressed by the intense and rich color of opals. He thought it’s worth being painted and described in poems. And everything happened as he wanted: many artists wrote that the play of color in opal gemstone can be compared with magical galaxies and picturesque fireworks.
Opals October Birthstone 4
For years, October people wore opals to protect themselves from demons and human stupidity. In the case of blonde women, this multicolor birthstone has an additional power to save the hair tone.
Opals October Birthstone 5
On the one hand, opal was a long-term symbol of purity, faithfulness, and wisdom in European culture. On another hand, many people were afraid of this jewel because it resembled the eyes of “demon” animals. All in all, opals remained in the history of Europe as the symbol of innocence, purity, and hope.
Opals October Birthstone 6
With time, many beliefs about opals appeared. It became connected with easier childbirth, higher morale, and starting romantic relations.
Opals October Birthstone 7
Among the supernatural and unbelievable abilities of opals, some people believed that wearing these gems will make them invisible and gift limitless power.
Opals October Birthstone 8
Among the top fans of opals, Queen Victoria was choosing them on a regular basis. She had a complete personal collection.
The center of opal mining is Australia. The country even turned opals into its national gemstone. Different parts of Australia are for different opals: NSW state is good for black jewels, while Queensland and South Australia are the birthplace of white opals. In addition to this, October birthstone can be found in Africa (Ethiopia and Madagascar) and America (Mexico, Peru and Brazil especially). Also, opals are mined in Central Europe and Indonesia.
Tourmaline October Birthstone
Tourmaline stone, an alternative October birthstone
From Sinhalese, the word “tourmaline” means “stone of mixed colors.” And that’s true: tourmaline stone can come in an extreme variety of tones, including pink, green, and blue. At the same time, the change of color is what makes tourmaline remarkable. A special case is Watermelon Tourmaline that is composed of three colors and resembles a slice of watermelon with pink center, white ring, and green edge. Anyway, each tourmaline is remarkable, thanks to the outstanding crystal web it contains.
The incredible ability to enhance any jewelry peace makes tourmaline an extremely interesting gemstone many people dream of owning.
Here are some interesting facts about tourmaline stone:
Tourmaline October Birthstone 1
According to Egyptian legends about tourmaline, it first traveled around the rainbow and then learned to represent all its hues.
Tourmaline October Birthstone 2
The most popular colors of tourmaline include cranberry red, bubblegum pink, canary yellow, grass green, ocean blue, and deep violet. In such a rainbow color range of tourmaline stone, the most precious ones are neon green and bluish violet hues. And of course, the precious gemstone will have two or three color in one.
Tourmaline October Birthstone 3
Once, a Spanish conquistador found a tourmaline stone of a stunning green color and confused it with an emerald. Everybody who saw this jewel shared this belief for centuries.
Tourmaline October Birthstone 4
Dutch merchants were the first people to introduce the word “tourmaline” as a term to represent the special jewels they found in Sri Lanka.
Tourmaline October Birthstone 5
To be considered perfect, both tourmalines and opals should demonstrate all the shades a gemstone can have.
Tourmaline October Birthstone 6
In terms of extraordinary abilities of tourmaline, it strengthens health condition of the owner. Especially, it improves nervous system and blood circulation. As for mental abilities, tourmaline boosts creativity and enhances spirituality. That’s the reason why it became a talisman for artists. Generally, tourmaline is associated with happiness, compassion, and spiritality.
Tourmaline October Birthstone 7
It’s believed that keeping a green tourmaline can improve your financial situation. In fact, among the most expensive types of tourmaline, there are blue indicolite, green verdelite and pink rubellite.
To find tourmaline, head to Brazil, Afghanistan, East Africa, and USA. Also, they are mined in Australia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Siberia, and Madagascar.
The chemistry behind precious jewels
In terms of chemical composition, opal is an amorphous variety of silica. In other words, it contains some water inside, which makes it sensitive to cracking and crazing. Being one of quartz varieties, opals form small spheres that amaze spectators.
The most common opals have milky or pure white hue. However, other opals are also valuable. In the group of black opals, Australia’s Lightning Ridge is a top pick. This dry and rocky region creates the best circumstances for an opal to appear.
When it comes to tourmaline, it's crystalline boron silicate mineral chemically. This special jewel can demonstrate a “cat’s eye” effect or be painted by chromium. Also, the most common types are Indicolite, Paraiba, Rubellite, and Schorl.
Precious Jewels
How to take care of the birthstone jewelry
  • On the Mohs scale, opals have 5.5 points only. This makes this gemstone highly sensitive to physical harm from other jewels. To prevent this from happening, store your precious gift separately.
  • It’s important not to store opals in air tight containers. If they become dry, they are covered by the web of cracks. The same effect can appear with high temperature and low humidity, so consider the climate specifics before wearing your opals jewelry.
  • It’s forbidden to apply on opal ultrasonic cleaners. They can crack the jewel.
  • The hardness of tourmaline stone is around 7 Mohs, which is makes it more suitable for everyday wear than an opal.
  • Try to heat or cool your tourmaline a bit - and you’ll see an electric change.
  • No matter how many colors an opal or a tourmarine has, choose only the one that touches your heart.
Some questions about precious jewelry are still left? Contact Diamond Registry experts, and we’ll be happy to help you to take care of your diamonds!
ASK A QUASTION
Read about other birthstones
View all
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
Free Wholesale Quote