Tourmaline is a vibrant alternate birthstone for people born in October because of its intricate mineral makeup. The color of a tourmaline stone is determined by trace concentrations of specific components, and the options are numerous.
In This Article...
Tourmaline: Symbolism and Meaning
The tourmaline birthstone symbolizes strength and defense. Tourmaline is said to protect against toxins, pollution, and negative ideas and to represent power.
In ancient Egypt, it was thought that tourmaline emerged from the earth to the surface in a rainbow. The basis of the gemstone’s name, “tura mali,” which literally translates to “stone of mixed colors,” is a Sinhalese or Sri Lankan word.
The Mohs scale of hardness values this October birthstone between 7 and 7.5, making it a robust jewel suitable for daily wear.
Tourmaline: Color
Tourmaline is a birthstone with a wide range of hues, including pink (the most popular) and green as well as blue and purple, or a mix of these. Tourmaline is available in a range of hues to suit your preferences and fashion sense. The birthstone for October is a multipurpose stone that may be used in a variety of jewelry designs, from rings to pendants.
Tourmaline: Origins
Despite leaving traces throughout history, tourmaline was first identified in Brazil in the 16th century, according to the earliest records, however this wasn’t confirmed until the 19th century. Today, deposits of tourmaline may be found all over the world, including in Australia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Russia, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Pakistan, and the United States.
How to Choose a Tourmaline Birthstone Jewelry
The most typical way to enhance or treat a tourmaline is with heat. In comparison to if it had not been heated, the stone’s color will be beautifully visible, much more bright, and have a deeper hue.
The general worth and durability of the stone are not in any way diminished when it is heated. It serves only to intensify the stone’s natural colors.
Rectangular cuts are the most recommended for tourmaline stones since they are longer and capture more of the stone’s beauty and sparkle. You might also want to look at the angle of the cuts for deeper color, though.
This birthstone for October is also well recognized for having minute defects, called inclusions. But you won’t be looking at the included while you’re looking for features that have a negative impact on price. Instead, you should pay particular attention to the gemstone’s hue. If you discover that it contains a white tone, you will be able to tell right away that the price will be much decreased.
The value of a tourmaline stone increases with its clarity. The color is the most important item to think about when buying tourmaline because each hue will have a different price, and this can limit your budget.
A popular option is red tourmaline, and green tourmaline is ideal if you’re seeking for an elegant substitute for emeralds. The Brazilian Paraiba Tourmaline, which is clear with a neon blue or green tint, will be the most expensive tourmaline you can locate. The price will increase if the stone’s color becomes more rare.
Caring for Your Tourmaline
Every few months, wash your tourmaline jewelry in warm, soapy water. Before storing it, wipe it thoroughly with a gentle cloth and allow it to completely dry. To keep your tourmaline jewelry secure and scratch-free, place it in a soft cloth or container.
What color is the birthstone tourmaline?
Opal is a distinctive and well-liked gemstone that, among other things, lends itself wonderfully to jewelry. Ever notice the way an opal’s many colors shine? Continue reading to learn five interesting facts about the popular opal, the birthstone for October!
- Many people think that rain becoming caught inside of a rock is how opal forms. Crystalline silica in the rock is carried downward by the rain. The silicon slowly dries out after that.
- NASA made a really intriguing finding in the year 2008. Opal deposits have been discovered on Mars!
- Australia provides over 95% of the valuable birthstones for October in the globe. Since 1875, opal has been mined in Australia!
- Regarding the opal gem stone’s exceptional abilities, both Ancient Greeks and Romans held distinct views. Many individuals in Ancient Greece believed that opal might make you psychic! The common gemstone was associated with optimism and love in Ancient Rome.
- The abundance of silica spheres of various sizes is what gives opal gemstones their wide range of colors. The lovely October birthstone’s stunning array of colors is produced by light refraction caused by the spheres.
Is October Birthstone Opal or Tourmaline?
Opal and pink tourmaline are two magnificent birthstones that honor those who were born in October. Both opal and tourmaline, the birthstones for October, typically emit a range of hues. Jewelry with October birthstones stands out thanks to the variety of colors. Any piece can be altered to fit your personality and style. There are several jewelry alternatives available with these distinctive jewels, ranging from pendants to earrings.
Is October Birthstone Opal or Pink?
Opal and pink tourmaline are the birthstones for October. The main birthstone, tourmaline, is one of the few stones that can be found in practically every color, making it a rare gem. Some pink tourmalines are as clear as diamonds in clarity! Opals, on the other hand, are unique in their own right. Opal patterns have their own descriptive terminology since they are so distinctive. Opals are the most distinctively individual gems. The most fragile gemstones worn frequently are opals, which need specific maintenance.
Why Does October have two Birthstones?
The National Association of Jewelers decided to compile a list of acceptable birthstones for each month in 1952 in an effort to standardize the birthstones. That last has since been modified over time to match adjustments in fashion trends and stone supply. In the instance of October, there were concerns raised regarding the durability of the opal and it was thought by many to be excessively feminine in look. To add tourmaline to the mix, the association made this decision. More recently, it was determined that opal and pink tourmaline would be the birthstones for October.
What is the October Birthstone Meaning?
The opal, the traditional birthstone for October, is thought to have originated in India (where the first opals were imported to the West), where it was known as upala, or a “precious stone,” in Sanskrit. This was known as opalus in ancient Rome. The majority of opals are prized for their rainbow-hued color shifting, or “play of color.”
The more recent birthstone for October is tourmaline. Due to the frequent presence of several hues in a single crystal, the term is derived from the Sinhalese word toramalli, which means “stone with mixed colors.” Few gems can rival the stunning variety of colors found in tourmaline. Perhaps for this reason, ancient mystics thought that the birthstone for October could stimulate creative expression. There is a color scheme for each mood. The pink and red rubellites, the emerald green “chrome tourmalines, and the neon green and blue-to-violet “paraba tourmalines are among the most well-liked varieties.
What Color is the October Birthstone?
The traditional birthstones for October are opal and tourmaline. Some of the most exquisite and unusual gemstones include opal and tourmaline.
No other gem compares to the opal’s dynamic kaleidoscope of kaleidoscopic colors. The brilliance of fine opal is difficult to describe in words and elusive. It has been compared to volcanoes, galaxies, jellyfish, pyrotechnics, and jellyfish.
The tourmaline, which is generally depicted as pink, actually comes in a variety of colors, including pink (which is the approved color to represent October’s birthstone), blue, luxurious reds, and greens, which are used to embellish the showrooms of luxury jewelers.
What Are Typical October Birthstone Rings?
Shop rings with the birthstone of October at Joseph’s Jewelry. To celebrate this month of birthdays, we have some amazing rings to offer. Here are a few examples:
- Teardrop Pink Created Zircon and Diamond 14K White Gold Ring
- Pink created zircon stackable ring made of 14K white gold.
- Ladies’ Pink Created Zircon and Diamond Ring in 925 Sterling Silver
What Are Typical October Birthstone Necklaces?
Visit Joseph’s Jewelry to view our lovely October birthstone necklaces. Check out our selection of October birthstone necklaces to get exactly what you’re searching for;
- Pink Created Zircon Pendant Necklace in 14K White Gold with Diamond Accents
- Opal Cross Pendant in 14k Yellow Gold
- Pink Created Zircon and Diamond Halo Drop Necklace in 14K White Gold
What hue of tourmaline is the birthstone for October?
Opal and tourmaline are the birthstones for October. Despite the fact that both gemstones come in a wide range of hues, the traditional white opal and pink tourmaline are the two most popular options for people born in this autumnal month.
What hues do opal and tourmaline have?
The non-crystalline silica gel that makes up opal is a very soft gemstone. Within the crevices and fissures of volcanic rock, the gel hardens over time to form the Opal gemstone. Changes in heat and pressure can alter an opal’s appearance, and they are renowned for their “rainbow effect,” in which numerous stones show the rainbow’s hues when moved.
Opals can be found in a variety of hues, such as milky white, black, and even tints of red, pink, yellow, orange, or blue. White stones are more common, whilst red stones are thought to be the rarest.
Is tourmaline an opal substitute?
An opal gemstone is defined by its shimmering, rainbow-like hue and iridescence, while tourmaline displays a vivid mix of colors that can be seen in a single crystal.
What shade of tourmaline is most typical?
A few characteristics of tourmaline can help in identifying it.
It should be simple to identify a tourmaline crystal if you have one.
- Tourmaline has a prismatic crystal habit and often has obvious striations that parallel the long axis of a crystal.
- Rounded edges and triangular or six-sided cross sections are common features of tourmaline crystals.
- Color zones frequently run through or along the length of tourmaline crystals.
- Tourmaline can be pleochroic with the darkest color viewing down the C-axis and lighter color viewing perpendicular to the C-axis.
If the tourmaline you think you have is actually an accessory mineral in an igneous or metamorphic rock, don’t give up hope. These rocks frequently include small prismatic crystals of it. Look for striations and rounded cross-sections using a hand lens.
Any specimen with a clearly defined cleavage is probably not tourmaline because tourmaline has an obscure cleavage.
Perhaps color is not necessary.
Tourmaline can be found in all colors of the rainbow, with black being the most prevalent.
Is tourmaline a valuable gem?
Tourmaline is a semi-precious gemstone that, true to its name, “turmali,” which means “mixed,” occurs in more colors and color combinations than any other gemstone. Tourmalines are frequently confused for a variety of different gemstones because of their vast spectrum of colors. For instance, many of the stones thought to be rubies in the Russian Crown Jewels from the 17th century are actually tourmalines.
Iron, sodium, magnesium, potassium, aluminum, and lithium are among the different elements found in tourmalines, which are crystalline boron silicate minerals. There are numerous places in the world where tourmalines are found.
Why do October have two birthstones?
Opal is revered as having mystical qualities in many cultures. The ancient Greeks believed that opals bestowed the gift of prophecy and protection from disease, while the Bedouin (nomadic people who lived in the desert areas of North Africa) thought that opals held lightning and fell from the sky during thunderstorms. Opal has long been considered by Europeans to be a sign of optimism, purity, and truth as well as the embodiment of all the virtues and powers ascribed to colored stones due to its ability to change color.
Even the wearing of opals by anyone other than those who were born in October is seen to be unfortunate. It wasn’t inspired by anything spiritual, but rather by Sir Walter Scott’s 1892 book Anne of Geierstein (aka The Maiden of the Mist). Opals were regarded as historically lucky before then.
It’s critical to understand the type of opal you are caring for while deciding how to care for it. Incredibly porous Ethiopian opals, for instance, are prone to “taking on” moisture. As a result, a qualified jeweler should take care of this particular opal’s maintenance. Other opals are composites, which are made up of many materials. You also need to be very cautious when cleaning those opals, also known as doublets and triplets.
The hardness of opal ranges from 5-6.5 on the Mohs scale. Opal should be stored alone to prevent damage from jewelry with tougher gems. Certain opal settings, such as doublets or triplets, which are tiny opal slices glued to a base material and covered in a thin coating of pure quartz, can become brittle when exposed to water for an extended period of time. When exposed to abrupt temperature fluctuations, particularly extreme heat, natural opal can fracture.
It is possible to treat this October birthstone using oil, wax, or plastic impregnation, although we do not advise it. We at Shmukler Design, a bespoke jeweler in Southern California, think that washing your opal jewelry by hand in warm, soapy water is the safest method.
Tourmaline is a more recent addition to the birthstone pair for October. Because tourmalines can have several hues in a single crystal, the name “tourmaline” is derived from the Sinhalese word “toramalli,” which means “stone with mixed colors.” As a result, some believe it to be a “chameleon” gem that frequently passes for other gemstones. There were quite a few confusions prior to the 1800s when tourmaline was identified as a unique species of mineral. A Spanish conquistador mistakenly believed green tourmaline crystals he discovered in Brazil during the 1500s to be emeralds.
Tourmaline is still most frequently found in Brazil, but it is also mined in other countries as well, including Afghanistan, Kenya, Pakistan, Madagascar, and even here here in the United States, specifically in California and Maine. While California’s tourmaline deposits were located in the early 1900s in San Diego County, Main’s were first identified in 1822 in southern Main at Mount Mica (in the town of Paris).
The deep, vibrant colors of tourmaline are a result of copper deposit accumulation. In actuality, it wasn’t until the 1980s that the first electrifying green, blue, and violet tourmalines were found.
Due of the numerous color changes in tourmaline, many ancient societies thought it might stimulate creative expression. According to popular belief, tourmaline comes in a variety of colors.
- Black is said to give its user protection and self-assurance.
- Green is said to encourage fortitude, bravery, and strength.
- Pink is thought to represent kindness and affection.
The customary present for the eighth wedding anniversary is tourmaline. In addition, pink tourmaline is one of the more well-liked colors to give as a gift because of its romantic qualities.
Tourmaline ranges from 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness, making it slightly harder than opal. It is resilient for daily use and resistant to heat, light, and the majority of chemicals. We think that using a soft brush and warm, soapy water to clean tourmaline is the best method. We advise against using steam and ultrasonic cleaners on tourmaline.
What does the birthstone tourmaline stand for?
Black tourmaline is thought to give the wearer protection and a boost of confidence. Pink tourmaline symbolizes love and is linked to kindness and compassion. Courage, strength, and stamina are encouraged by green tourmaline. To commemorate the seventh wedding anniversary, tourmaline is given.
What abilities does tourmaline possess?
In feng shui, energetic protection is one of this crystal’s most popular applications. Tourmaline aids in the formation of a barrier around a person or space to keep out uninvited or harmful energies. Additionally, it grounds you and aids in bringing each chakra into balance. Even more difficult energies and unfavorable mind patterns can be transformed into more empowering energies and beliefs by the stone.
