October Birthstones: Tourmaline & Opal

The birthstones for October are Tourmaline and Opal.

Tourmaline is a favourite gemstone for many because it’s available in a rainbow of beautiful colours. The confusion about the stone’s identity even reflected in its name, which comes from “Toramalli” which means “mixed gems” in Sinhalese (a language of Sri Lanka).

Opal also has the colours of other gems. Opal’s beauty is elusive and challenging to capture in words. It has been compared to fireworks, jellyfish, galaxies, lightning and volcanoes. In ancient Rome, this gemstone symbolized love and hope. Europeans also considered the gem a symbol of hope, purity and truth.