Traditionally, the birthstone of October is the soft and dazzling opal. In recent years, opal has shared the spotlight with pink tourmaline, which is now the alternative stone for October.
Opal
Opals are gemstones known for the brilliance of rainbow colours. The name opal comes from the Latin word Upala, meaning “precious stone”. Most opals are over 50 million years old and formed as silicon. The stone, when moved and exposed to light, omits flashes of colour from within. In the stone we see colors of blue, green, aqua and sometimes yellow and red.
The varied colours and properties of opal
The rarest and most expensive opal is black opal. It has a dark base colour with flashes of red and yellow in it. Light opal is what we commonly find, which is either crystalline or milky in colour. The stone contains flashes of rainbow colors and is widely available.
Another variant of opal is natural opal. In this variation no processing has been done and it is often cut into more patterns to enhance the natural beauty of the stone. While these are the most commonly mentioned opals, there are many more opal options available. Such as water opals, fire opals, Contraluz opals, Boulder opals, hydrophane opals, Cacholong opals, Jasper opals, moss opals.
Opal mining
Various regions of the world are opal mining sites, with Australia being the most notable opal mining area. The Czech and Slovak Republics, Brazil, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Indonesia and Mexico are also suppliers of various types of opal stone.
Ancient tradition of opal
The Romans believed that the opal was the symbol of hope and purity. They believed that those who wore opal would be safe from disease. The Arabs believed that opals fell from the sky in lightning bolts. Finally, the Greeks believed that opals gave them insight and prophetic abilities. The aborigines of Australia believed that opals had spiritual value. Further that they represented something left behind by their ancestors as a sign of their presence.
Over the years, the folklore of opal has ranged from good luck and positivity to bad luck and negative associations. This stone has a rich history in history and has given people the ability to choose what they think of the mysterious stone.
In the next article Pink Tourmaline, a new October birthstone,
