October’s Birthstone….OPAL…….and TOURMALINE…..
I should have realized early on that I was a jewelry lady. Even though I loved making forts in the woods and got into big trouble one year on Earth Day for taking branches off of trees to make my fort, I was a jewelry girl at heart.
My very first purchase was a turquoise ring. I can’t remember if I spent $5 or $25 but it was my own money. It had 5 stones on it which I liked as there were five kids in my family. My dad drove me to the place, it was off Route 84 in Connecticut and it was a turquoise place. I had no idea why we picked this place but I was told my birthstone was turquoise. Well it turns out, my stone is Opal as I am an October baby but it is Tourmaline as well as there are 2 stones for October.. I think I still would have loved my turquoise ring as it was my very first. With my own money.
So let’s talk Opal….it symbolizes faithfulness and confidence. The word itself comes from the Latin opalus, meaning precious jewel. It is said that necklaces with opal set in them were to worn to repel evil and to protect eyesight. It is given to celebrate the 14TH year of marriage. Also said about the stone is that it encourages the individuality and inner radiance of the wearer to shine through. I just love that!
Generally opals with black or dark body tone are more valuable than those with white, light or crystal body tone because a stone with a darker body tone tends to display colors more vibrantly. A black opal is the most prized opal and you can see a price of that upwards of $15,000.
It is said it is unlucky to wear an opal if it isn’t your birthstone and I’ve heard that it’s okay if it’s a gift. This superstition comes from a fiction book written in the 1800’s!!! In fact, throughout most of history, the opal has been regarded as the luckiest and most magical of all gemstones because it can show all colors. So you know what I say to that right? Go ahead and wear it regardless of whether or not it is your birthstone.
Opal’s healing powers are said to help in the treatment of various infections and fevers. The healing energies from this stone assist in relieving the constriction that you may experience in your heart and chest.
Are opals fragile? Yes, they are! And they can break easily/ They have the same hardness of glass. You can clean them with warm soapy water and want to avoid ultrasonic cleaners and chemical cleaners. Most often because of how delicate this stone is you will find it set deep in a setting as opposed to protruding out.
Now let’s talk Tourmaline…. This stone comes in a variety of colors and color combinations. It’s name means “mixed stone” which makes sense with the variety of colors-green, black, blue, purple, red, yellow, white, gray, brown and orange.Crazy, right?!
The health benefits of this gemstone are many….just a few are it helps with detoxification, supports fat loss, reduces water retention, improves circulation and supports the liver and kidneys.
Tourmaline has many positive attributes in the spiritual arena. It is thought to bring healing powers to a shaman or medicine man. It is what is called a “receptive stone” which means it is soothing, calming, inward and magnetic promoting spirituality, wisdom and mysticism.
On the Mohs scale of hardness this stone comes in at 7-7.5. Deposits of Tourmaline are found in Afghanistan,. Pakistan, Russia, Burma, Sri Lanka and the United States in California and Maine. Several African countries have just started producing this gemstone.
I hope you enjoyed this information. All you October babies have a happy happy happy birthday!
Mary Elizabeth Glosup
The Jewelry Lady
References-Global Healing Center; Jewels for Me; Minerals.net