The October birthstones are opal and tourmaline. So, in honor of October, we present to you the top 10 facts about the October birthstones!
- October is one of the few months that has two birthstones, opal and tourmaline
- The name tourmaline is derived from the Sinhalese (language spoken in Sri Lanka) “tura mali,” which means “the stone of mixed colors.”
- Many gemstones in the Russian Crown Jewels from the 17th Century were once thought to be rubies. They are, in fact, tourmalines.
- Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom was an avid lover of opals. Among all of the royal gemstones, opal was her favorite.
- In 1956, the world’s largest and most valuable opal was found in Coober Pedy, Australia. It is named “Olympic Australis” in honor of the Melbourne Games that were occurring at the time. The 17,000 Carat gemstone is valued at over $2.5 million.
- Opal deposits have been found on the planet Mars, as it was uncovered by NASA in 2008 that a fallen meteorite from nearly a century before contained opal.
- Opal can appear in many colors, including white, blue, pink, green, yellow, brown and black.
- Opal engagement rings and jewelry often appeal to those with vintage, somewhat quirky tastes
- Rubelite (red tourmaline) is associated with compassion, comfort, safety and relaxation.
- Historically, red tourmaline was believed to reflect kindness, tolerance and femininity.
We hope you enjoyed the top 10 facts about the October birthstones. We wish you the best of luck in this, the scariest of months, when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest. We wish you the best during the upcoming, fast approaching, holiday season. |
|
