October Birthstones

People born in the tenth month, like Libras and Scorpios, have two bewitching birthstones to choose from, opal and tourmaline. Find out more about these out of this world stones like where they come from, what spiritual meanings they hold, and the science behind their alluring appearance.

If you or a special someone have a birthday in October, it is time to celebrate by better acquainting yourself with these special and stunning stones. Once you discover their unique powers and see how exquisite they are, you may even want to treat yourself to a new or vintage birthday gift of opal or tourmaline jewelry.

Opal

Opals come in a wide variety of shades, including the understated pastels found in white opals (the most common type) and the amplified rainbow of hues found in the black opal. Other opal colors include red, blue, green, and purple.

For spiritual purposes, white opals are capable of encouraging new ideas and motivating creativity. You can use green opal to open and cleanse the heart chakra while purple opals help to open your third eye chakra. Black opals are known for magnifying the wearers' emotions.

This opulent precious stone has such a dazzling array of colors that it is the inspiration behind the word opalescent. The incredible wealth of colors in opals come from a 5-6 million year natural process in the Earth in which silicon dioxide and water mix with decomposing material within cracks.

Rough opals are mined from underground seams in Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, America, and Ethiopia. While each location offers a specific type of stone, over 90% of the opals on the market today are mined in Australia.

Opal boulders are softer than gemstones, and therefore they do not get tumbled. Instead, they are processed by a wet saw into usable chunks called rubs and polished to become the smooth stone with which we are more familiar.

Tourmaline

Tourmaline comes in nearly every color under the sun due to elements like iron, magnesium, and lithium contributing to their formation. However, no matter which color tourmaline you get, they are all pleochroic, meaning they change color depending on the angle you view the stone.

A semi-precious stone, tourmaline gems are primarily mined in southern California, where mines have been in use for nearly 200 years. However, a new neon blue variety was discovered in caves in Brazil in the 1980s. Its unusual color is attributed to copper and is considered the rarest form of tourmaline.

Using tourmaline for spiritual purposes is typical, especially when it comes to the black variety. It is widely known to provide exceptional personal protection and positivity.
Yellow tourmaline connects to the solar plexus chakra while pink, red, and purple tourmaline align with your root chakras and promote healing.

When it comes to using your birth date to gain a heightened spirituality, leave no stone unturned. You may choose opal or tourmaline for their beauty, but you may also benefit from their capacity to help you. If you were born in August, try one or both for yourself to see what they can do for you!