October doesn’t simply have one birthstone, however two. The primary of the October birthstones is the opal, and the second is the tourmaline. What these two birthstones have in widespread is that they each have the widest and most numerous colour ranges on the earth of gem stones. What’s extra, they not solely happen in uniform colours however in quite a lot of colour combos.
On this article, we’ll inform you all the things you have to find out about these two October birthstones.
What are the Birthstones for October?
Two gem stones characterize the month of October: opal and tourmaline. Each of those birthstone choices are well-known for holding plenty of colour decisions.
Opal is a mineraloid, a sort of hydrated silica. In different phrases, opal has a certain quantity of water in it (from 6 to twenty%). Principal geographic sources of opal embody Ethiopia and Australia. There are two kinds of opals – treasured and customary. Valuable opals can show iridescence, in any other case referred to as a play-of-color. This gemstone could be translucent, clear, or opaque, and it could seem in nearly any hue, from completely different colours of the rainbow to grey and black.
Tourmaline is a silicate mineral that consists of crystalline boron. It could possibly include concentrations of iron, aluminum, magnesium, potassium, lithium, and sodium. Since it could have a mixture of all these components, tourmalines nearly happen in nearly each colour, from vivid purple to colorless. The truth is, tourmalines show extra colours and colour combos than every other gemstone. They usually come from metamorphic and igneous rocks mined in Brazil and Africa. In contrast to opals, which type in low temperatures, tourmalines normally type by hydrothermal exercise and sizzling temperatures.
Each these October birthstones are fairly standard and make lovely items of jewellery. Whereas they’re an inexpensive various to diamonds and pricier treasured stones, they’ll nonetheless command excessive costs as effectively.
Myths and Historical past of October Birthstones
The utilization of opals, in addition to folks’s deep appreciation for them, can hint to Historical Rome. Since it could show all kinds of colours directly, opal’s connotation was all the time associated to magic, psychological energy, and the supernatural.
Attributable to their colourful properties, opals have an affiliation with volcanoes, the moon, lightning, fireworks, constellations, and galaxies. They served as an inspiration to writers, poets, and painters, and have been particularly favorable to royalty. It’s even the nationwide gemstone of Australia. At this time, opal is an emblem of purity, hope, and abundance.
The title tourmaline means “unknown gemstone of combined colours,” a time period that comes from Sri Lanka. Tourmalines have been mistaken for different colourful gem stones for hundreds of years. Since they happen in nearly any colour, folks thought they have been emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and different gem stones. It wasn’t till the 1800s that tourmalines have been categorised as separate mineral teams. For instance, a current discovery introduced proof that among the well-known Russian crown jewels have been, actually, tourmalines and never rubies.
Attention-grabbing Factoid: The primary-ever tourmalines have been regarded as “Brazilian emeralds.”
What units the tourmaline other than all different coloured gem stones is that it may be electrically charged. Attributable to its pyroelectric properties, it earned the nickname “the Ceylonese Sri Lankan Magnet.” The commonest tourmalines are black.
Tourmalines can characterize a number of completely different meanings, primarily relying on their colour. For instance, pink tourmaline is an emblem of compassion and affection, whereas purple tourmaline represents knowledge and energy. Regardless of the colour, many consider that tourmalines have psychological and bodily therapeutic properties. Some even thought that the colourful tourmalines got here from rainbows.
Mining Places of Opal and Tourmaline
The principle sources of opal are mines in Australia and Ethiopia.
Australia, particularly, has produced as much as 95% of treasured opals in the entire world. The truth is, opal is the nationwide gem of Australia.
The Australian mine that produces nearly all of opals is Coober Pedy. The Coober Pedy is the mine of the most important opal discovery, the Olympic Australis. Weighing roughly 17,000 carats, this single opal has a price of AUD$2.5m.
Other than Australia and Ethiopia, opal deposits mines are in the Virgin Valley in Nevada, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Indonesia, Canada, Idaho, Slovakia, Turkey, Brazil, Hungary, and many different locations.
Rock opals can happen nearly wherever, together with sandstone, limonite, marland, basalt, and rhyolite.
The principle supply of tourmaline is Brazil, which has a document of manufacturing tourmalines in nearly each colour. Different mining places of the tourmaline embody Maine, Nigeria, California, India, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Madagascar, Pakistan, and different international locations. All these deposits produced tourmalines of various colours. For instance, the tourmalines that come from Maine are both pink or inexperienced. Californian tourmalines have a mixture of those two colours, in any other case referred to as bi-colors.
A new and not too long ago discovered kind of tourmaline known as Paraiba tourmaline primarily comes from Brazil. They’re vivid blue and vivid inexperienced, and specialists take into account them to be probably the most useful kind of tourmaline.
Bodily Properties of Opal and Tourmaline
Bodily Properties of Opal
What makes opal distinctive is the play-of-color that it shows on its floor. This phenomenon happens on account of grids of microscopic silica spheres, that are solely 0.2 microns in dimension. The diffraction of sunshine causes it to vary colours relying on the angle you’re viewing it from. Opals which have this capacity are known as treasured opals. Frequent opals, however, naturally have an opaque “hazy” colour, with bluish or greenish hues. They’re often known as “milk” opals.
One other fascinating truth about opal is that it comprises water in its silica construction. It could possibly include as much as 20% water, making it softer than different gem stones. The truth is, opal has a hardness from 5.5 to six.0 on the Mohs scale.
With regards to colour, opals can happen in a myriad of colours directly, making them really distinctive. A particular kind of opal is named a hearth opal, because it shows a purple hue with orange and yellow undertones. The rarest and most dear kinds of opals are black opals.
Bodily Properties of Tourmaline
Since tourmalines are simply confused with different gem stones, it’s essential to know which distinctive bodily properties they’ve. Though tourmalines belong to probably the most advanced group of silicate minerals, by way of chemical composition, what units them other than different gem stones is their triagonal crystal construction. In different phrases, they include three-sided or six-sided prisms with rounded edges.
As talked about earlier than, tourmalines can happen in nearly each colour. Whereas black opals are the rarest, black tourmalines are the most typical. They’re in any other case referred to as schorl, and they’re wealthy in iron. Pink and purple tourmalines are additionally broadly obtainable, they usually’re in any other case referred to as rubellites. A particular kind of tourmaline is named watermelon tourmaline. As a result of multicolor zoning that happens inside the mineral, these kinds of tourmalines have a pink core, surrounded by a inexperienced outer layer.
What additionally makes tourmalines particular is that they are often electrically charged when excessive warmth or strain is utilized to them. Some kinds of tourmalines, primarily these which are opaque black, and yellow, have excessive magnetic susceptibilities.
October Birthstones in Jewellery
Opals have been worn in jewellery for 1000’s of years. The earliest opal artifacts ever discovered date again to 4000 BC, they usually’re believed to come back from Kenya. Even to at the present time, they’re very talked-about due to their intricate patterns. Folks love sporting opal jewellery as a result of no two opals are the identical, making each bit of jewellery fully distinctive.
Valuable opals are sometimes worn as rings, brooches, earrings, and necklaces. The larger the stone, the higher its play-of-color. They’re normally minimize in a solution to maximize the color-changing sample, even when it makes the opal disproportional. Opals which have a dome-shaped floor are additionally one of the best minimize for the play-of-color. Relying on their colours, opals could be paired with each silver and yellow gold.
With regards to tourmalines, it’s all concerning the depth of the colour. Purple and pink tourmalines, in addition to Paraiba tourmalines, are the most well-liked decisions for jewellery. Paraiba tourmalines normally have a customized minimize, on account of their colour sample and excessive worth. Frequent cuts for tourmalines embody pear, oval, and sensible cuts. They may also be customary into lengthy rectangles. Attributable to its variety, tourmalines could be worn as rings, necklaces, pendants, brooches, earrings, and bracelets.
Value and Worth of Opal and Tourmaline
There are a lot of elements that may decide the worth of these October birthstones. Excessive-quality treasured opals can generally be dearer than emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and even diamonds. An opal’s high quality relies on three chief facets: colour, sample, and readability. It goes with out saying that opals which have the play-of-color phenomenon are extra useful than widespread ones.
White opals’ worth usually varies from $20 to $200, whereas black opals can value from $30 to $1,500 per carat. Black opals which have extra carat weight, starting from 5 to 10 carats, can value as a lot as $50,000. Equally, hearth opals have a price of $50 to $10,000 per carat.
Tourmalines are extra inexpensive than opals. For the standard tourmaline that has a usually good high quality, one carat can value from $50 to $750, relying on the colour depth and readability. Rubellites, however, command the next worth, between $400 to $1,000 per carat. Paraiba tourmalines are probably the most useful, they usually can value round $5,000 per carat.
As with all coloured gem stones, the extra saturated their colour, the extra useful the tourmaline is. One other issue that contributes to the worth of tourmalines is the scale. Paraiba tourmalines not often come in additional than 2 carats, so naturally, bigger stones value extra.
What Are the Most Costly Kinds of Opal and Tourmalines?
Though opals could be present in quite a lot of colours, probably the most useful kinds of opals are black opals, particularly Australian black opals. They have a tendency to have a black physique colour and lighter hues which are refracted towards the gentle. Attributable to their rarity and their intense darkish hues, they’ll value from $10,000 to $50,000 per carat. Another excuse why they’re so pricy is that they’re extremely difficult to dig out.
The most costly kinds of tourmalines are the Paraiba tourmalines, which come from Brazil. They seem in blue, turquoise, and inexperienced colours. Though they have an inclination to include plentiful inclusions, they’re probably the most useful and in addition the rarest. Paraiba tourmalines with saturated, vivid colours can value from $2,000 to $5,000 per carat.
Equally, coloured tourmalines from Mozambique and Nigeria are additionally generally known as Paraiba tourmalines because it’s so arduous to inform them aside. That’s why it’s best to all the time ask for a certificates distributed by a gemological laboratory.
When searching for the right opal, there are some things you have to take into account. When you’re out there for a treasured opal, then you possibly can count on extravagant play-of-color. One opal can have 5 or 6 colours directly, they usually change when you have a look at the opal from a special angle. When you’re on the lookout for a single-colored gemstone with no secondary hues, then this won’t be the best alternative for you. Each opal is exclusive, and it could make an excellent substitute for a diamond engagement ring.
The standard of an opal primarily relies on three elements: the opal’s colour, sample, and readability. To completely consider an opal stone, you have to have a look at its colour depth and the standard of the play-of-colors. To do that, it’s greatest to put it towards a light-weight or darkish background, relying on the opal’s colour. Both approach, you’ll want to make a pointy colour distinction.
Have a look at the opal’s transparency and readability, and whether or not it’s opaque or not. As soon as once more, this relies on the colour. White and crystal opals ought to be clear to a point or fully clear. Alternatively, black opals are extra valued after they’re opaque.
If you wish to purchase any sort of gemstone, particularly for an engagement ring, it’s essential to ask for a certificates to show its authenticity. The certificates ought to come from a good gemological establishment. This generally is a GIA, AGTA, AGL, or SSEF certificates.
Buying Ideas for the October Tourmaline Birthstone
There are a lot of elements you have to take into consideration if you’re searching for a tourmaline. Its worth will primarily rely on the colour, readability, and dimension of the tourmaline. The most costly tourmalines are purple, pink, blue, and inexperienced tourmalines. Whereas black tourmalines are the most typical, they’re additionally the least useful. The rationale for that is that they’ll soak up gentle, making them appear fully opaque.
Tourmalines are inexpensive than some standard treasured stones, and they are often nice replacements for emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and even coloured diamonds. Since tourmalines are made in hydrothermal environments, it’s regular for the liquid to be trapped of their minute inclusions. Relying on their colour, they may simply be part of with quite a lot of settings, reminiscent of silver, platinum, yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold.
If you wish to get a Paraiba tourmaline, don’t overlook to ask for an authenticity certificates from a gemological institute. Most of these certificates show the origin of the tourmaline, whether or not it has enhancements or therapies, and if it’s even actual or artificial.
Cleansing Opal and Tourmaline Jewellery
Opals are amongst one of the delicate gem stones. Deal with them with excessive care. They’re delicate to daylight and modifications in temperature.
Since they’re very simple to fracture, it’s greatest to take away them from precarious conditions. If you wish to wash them, use lukewarm water and a really small quantity of cleaning soap. Don’t expose them to any chemical compounds and ultrasonic cleaners. If their floor scratches, they may lose plenty of their play-of-color.
As for tourmalines, they’re a lot stronger and extra sturdy than opals. Whereas they’re more durable to scratch or chip, they entice plenty of mud on account of their electrical conductivity. Though this implies you’ll have to scrub them extra usually, all you want is heat water and cleaning soap. Similar to for opals, don’t use ultrasonic or steam units to scrub your tourmaline. When you expose your tourmaline to a sudden change in temperature, this could considerably harm it.
Birthstone Model Quiz
What each birthstones have in widespread is that they’ll show nearly any colour on the market. Whether or not it’s one intense hue or a kaleidoscope of colours, opals and tourmalines are distinctive and breathtaking gem stones that will enrich any jewellery assortment.
Do you’ve got any questions on October birthstones? Do you need to store for opal and tourmaline jewellery? Be happy to contact our jewellery specialists.
