A rainbow of choices

October has two spectacular birthstones, opal and pink tourmaline, both of which come in a range of colours.

Opal, as an October birthstone, dates to at least the 15th century, while tourmaline was chosen as a modern alternative in the early 1900s. Both are popular with jewellers, featuring in rings, bracelets, necklaces, ear-rings
and pendents.

Opal is the traditional birthstone; a truly unique gemstone because each individual gem has its own one-of-a-kind colour combination. The varying colours, from palest pastels to fiery brights in opals result from light refracting through the silica spheres in the stones.

Ancient Greeks believed opal could make you psychic, while in Ancient Rome, the popular gemstone was synonymous with hope and love.

Tourmaline is rare because it is one of the few gems found in almost every colour, including a wide range of pink hues. Some of the paler pink tourmalines are as transparent as diamonds. Ancient mystics believed this October birthstone could inspire artistic expression, because it has a colour palette for every mood.

Among the most popular are the pink and red rubellites, the emerald green “chrome” tourmalines, and the neon green and blue-to-violet “paraíba” tourmalines.