THE TRADITIONAL OCTOBER BIRTHSTONE
OPAL
Opal is the October birthstone as well as the accepted anniversary gemstone for the 14th year of marriage. The well-known Roman naturalist Pliny described opal as "made up of the glories of the most precious gems...the gentler fire of ruby, the rich purple of amethyst, the sea-green of the emerald, glittering together..."
White opal has a white or light body color with flashes of many colors. Black opal (pictured above) has a black, dark blue, dark green or gray body color with vivid flashes of color such as red, pink and bright green.
Opal has symbolized hope, innocence and purity through the ages. In the Middle Ages, young, fair-haired girls wore opal in their hair to protect its lovely blond color. Medieval writers believed opal could render its wearer invisible when the need arose. It was also said to have a beneficial effect on eyesight. It was thought to banish evil spirits and favor children, the theater, amusements, friendships and feelings.
|
THE ALTERNATIVE OCTOBER BIRTHSTONE
 TOURMALINE
Tourmalines are gems with an incomparable variety of colors. Sometimes tourmaline is used as a birthstone for October and spans the spectrum from red to violet color. It is not as fragile as opal and is sometimes selected by those who prefer faceted stones.
|
Just about everyone knows what his or her birthstone is. Why is that?
Because
people still enjoy the folklore associated with the tradition of the
birthstone. They like believing that wearing a birthstone brings them
good luck and protects them.
Early civilization as far back as the
Assyrians (1400 BC) invested rare and beautiful gemstones with magical
properties. Some minerals were thought to contain a force or possess
certain values and powers. For instance, amethyst was thought to
prevent intoxication. Tradition associates a gem with each sign of the
zodiac based on a color system. Color was thought to unleash the power
attributed to the stone. In time, birthstones became associated with
calendar months rather than the zodiac.
Jewelers of America-Birthstone List
|
Month
|
Color
|
Stone
|
|
January
|
Dark Red
|
Garnet
|
|
February
|
Purple
|
Amethyst
|
|
March
|
Pale Blue
|
Aquamarine
|
|
April
|
White (clear)
|
Diamond
|
|
May
|
Bright Green
|
Emerald
|
|
June
|
Cream
|
Pearl or
Moonstone
|
|
July
|
Red
|
Ruby
|
|
August
|
Pale Green
|
Peridot
|
|
September
|
Deep Blue
|
Sapphire
|
|
October
|
Variegated
|
Opal or
Tourmaline
|
|
November
|
Yellow
|
Topaz or
Citrine
|
|
December
|
Sky Blue
|
Turquoise or
Blue Topaz
|
|
