October Birth Stone: Opal
11/10/2013
Are you looking for a gift for a loved one with a birthday in October? Birthstone jewellery makes an ideal present, as not only are the gemstones beautiful, they are embedded with significance.
Opal
Opals are famous for their play of colours when moved. This shimmering effect and flash of colour is caused by the interference of light on small cracks and other internal structural differences. The different colours are caused by various chemical inclusions; yellows and reds betray the presence of iron oxides. The spectacular black opals that sometimes flash green, blue and red get their color from magnesium oxides and organic carbon within the stone. Opals can also be milky in appearance, caused by the inclusions of tiny gas bubbles. Opals are formed in near-surface volcanic rocks, within cavities and cracks.
The main source of opals is Australia, where black opals are found. Fire opals were first mined in Mexico, and continue to be produced today. In the United States, brilliant fire opals are also found in Nevada. Other commercial sources of opal are Brazil, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Japan and Ireland. The name opal is derived from the Sanskrit word “upala,” as well as the Latin “opalus,” meaning “precious stone.” The Opal has a rich history. In Roman times, the opal was perceived as a symbol of love and hope. Orientals called it the “anchor of hope.” Arabs say it fell from the heavens in flashes of lightning. The ancient Roman natural historian Pliny once described it in the following way. “… it is made up of the glories of the most precious stones. To describe it is a matter of inexpressive difficulty: There is in it the gentler fire of the ruby, the brilliant purple of the amethyst, the sea-green of the emerald, all shining together in an incredible union.” In Elizabethan England the opal was treasured for its beauty. Shakespeare wrote of it in the Twelfth Night as the “queen of gems.” Queen Victoria presented her children with opal jewelry, thus making the stone popular.
Tourmaline
The name of this gemstone is thought to come from the Sri Lankan word “toramalli,” a term applied to yellow, green or brown stones, that means “something little out of the earth.”
Tourmaline is a complex aluminous borosilicate mineral built of crystals. Other metals are present within the crystal structure, and are responsible for the characteristic colors of the gemstones.
A valued variety of tourmaline that has 2 colours is called ‘watermelon’ tourmaline. This particular type is found in Brazil. The outer edges of the gem are green, transitioning to a transparent white zone that gives way to a pink or light red interior. Tourmaline is known as the ‘peace stone’, believed to dispel fear and make its wearer calm.
Opal
Opals are famous for their play of colours when moved. This shimmering effect and flash of colour is caused by the interference of light on small cracks and other internal structural differences. The different colours are caused by various chemical inclusions; yellows and reds betray the presence of iron oxides. The spectacular black opals that sometimes flash green, blue and red get their color from magnesium oxides and organic carbon within the stone. Opals can also be milky in appearance, caused by the inclusions of tiny gas bubbles. Opals are formed in near-surface volcanic rocks, within cavities and cracks.
The main source of opals is Australia, where black opals are found. Fire opals were first mined in Mexico, and continue to be produced today. In the United States, brilliant fire opals are also found in Nevada. Other commercial sources of opal are Brazil, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Japan and Ireland. The name opal is derived from the Sanskrit word “upala,” as well as the Latin “opalus,” meaning “precious stone.” The Opal has a rich history. In Roman times, the opal was perceived as a symbol of love and hope. Orientals called it the “anchor of hope.” Arabs say it fell from the heavens in flashes of lightning. The ancient Roman natural historian Pliny once described it in the following way. “… it is made up of the glories of the most precious stones. To describe it is a matter of inexpressive difficulty: There is in it the gentler fire of the ruby, the brilliant purple of the amethyst, the sea-green of the emerald, all shining together in an incredible union.” In Elizabethan England the opal was treasured for its beauty. Shakespeare wrote of it in the Twelfth Night as the “queen of gems.” Queen Victoria presented her children with opal jewelry, thus making the stone popular.
Tourmaline
The name of this gemstone is thought to come from the Sri Lankan word “toramalli,” a term applied to yellow, green or brown stones, that means “something little out of the earth.”
Tourmaline is a complex aluminous borosilicate mineral built of crystals. Other metals are present within the crystal structure, and are responsible for the characteristic colors of the gemstones.
A valued variety of tourmaline that has 2 colours is called ‘watermelon’ tourmaline. This particular type is found in Brazil. The outer edges of the gem are green, transitioning to a transparent white zone that gives way to a pink or light red interior. Tourmaline is known as the ‘peace stone’, believed to dispel fear and make its wearer calm.
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