october birthstone

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Tourmaline & OpalOctober Birthstone

The birthstones for the month of October are Tourmaline and Opal.

Tourmaline came from a Sinhalese word ‘thuramali’ or ‘thoramali’, which describes different gems found in Sri Lanka.

Opal has a number of possible origins including the Roman word ‘opalus’ and the Sanskrit word ‘upala.’ It may have also come from the Greek word ‘opallios’ which means ‘seeing’ and ‘opaque.’



Colours of Tourmaline The resulting combinations of numerous

elements mean that it occurs in a number of colours.

Black is common Brown Violet Green Pink


About Tourmaline Tourmaline is a semi-precious

gemstone that is a crystal boron silicate mineral that is compounded with numerous other elements.

Tourmaline measures 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness.


Tourmaline is mined in: Brazil Tanzania Nigeria Kenya Madagascar Mozambique

Namibia Afghanistan Pakistan Malawi United

States

Folklore Points to the Tourmaline Surrounding this gem claims that it

was believed to have traveled along a rainbow and as a result collected many colours.

The Chinese used tourmaline for carvings for many centuries and in ancient India it was used in ceremonies and as a tool for bringing insight.



Properties attached to Tourmaline The ability to discovery goodness and

reveal sources of evil. It was believed to grant enlightenment

and power over spiritual events, bring peace and turn base metals to gold.

It was also believed to strengthen body and spirit, enhance the nervous system, blood and the lymphatic system.

As it was supposed to assist with creativity, tourmaline was a favourite used by artists and writers as a talisman.


About Opal The opal, also known as the ‘Queen of

the Gems,’ is one of the softest stones with a 5.5 to 6 measurement on the Mohs hardness scale.

Opals were said to improve self-image and luck.

A light opal, also known as white opal, is about 60% of the total production of the gem.

Opal brought about invisibility if it was held in the hand, wrapped in a fresh bay leaf.


Colours of Opal Opal is a form of silica which contains

between six and ten percent water and can be:

White Yellow Red Orange Green Brown Black Blue Colourless


Opal is mined in: Australia (The majority of the world’s opal,

in fact about 97%.) United States Czech Republic Slovakia Hungary Turkey Indonesia Brazil Ethiopia Nicaragua Guatemala Honduras


Legends of Opal Russians believed right up to the 20th

century that if an opal was found in a collection of goods for sale that it possessed the evil eye which meant no goods should be purchased.

Arabs thought lightning flashes brought the stones to earth and Greeks viewed it as a sacred love stone.

One legend states the movement of the stars in the sky was controlled by a giant opal, and was also responsible for human love and was said to have control over the amount of gold that exists underground.


In Middle Ages Able to bring good luck. It also brought about invisibility if it

was held in the hand, wrapped in a fresh bay leaf.

In Ancient Egypt and Babylon The opal was believed to be a healing

stone.


Tourmaline & OpalOctober Birthstone

october birthstone

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