If you’re still young enough to remember your birthday, you
probably also remember the special birthstone assigned to it.
But at your age, we bet you don’t really know the SIGNIFICANCE
of your birthstone and what power the ancients felt would be
bestowed about you by wearing it. October Birthstone: Opal
Birthstone Properties: Enhances insight and dispels fear
Alternative Birthstone: Tourmaline Opal is the birthstone for
October and the gemstone given to commemorate a 14th wedding
anniversary. The word “opal” for this dynamic gemstone was
derived from the Greek word “opallus” which means to see a
change in color…because it is, after all, opal’s abilty to
refract and reflect specific wavelengths of light that make it
so special. In fact, there are more than a dozen varieties of
fiery and iridescent opals. Opal is a non-crystallized silica, a
mineral found near the earth’s surface in areas where ancient
geothermal hot springs once existed. Romans called the
magnificent gemstone “Cupid Paederos,” meaning a child as
beautiful as love. They believed that opals fell to earth from
the heavens in a flash of lightening. However they arrived in on
Earth originally, today opals must be mined from deposits found
primarily in Southern Australia, although other sources exist in
Brazil, Mexico, Czechoslovakia, and Nevada. Crown Jewels Opal
has symbolized hope, innocence and purity through the ages.
During the Middle Ages, fair-haired young women put sapphires in
their tresses to protect the lovely blond color of their hair.
Physicians ground opals into a powder that was ingested to ward
off nightmares. Since the 14th century, many cultures have
considered this stone to be an Eye Stone, a stone that watches
over royal families as well as a stone that strengthens the
eyesight. They believed it to be the “king of gems” because an
opal holds within its fire all the colors of the rainbow…and all
other gems, as well. And like many birthstones, opals were
treasured by ancient monarchs for their appearance AND their
powers. Opals were routinely set into the crowns and necklaces
of rulers who believed the protective powers of the gemstones
would ward off evil. Writers of the period believed the opal
could render its wearer invisible when the need arose. The
Russians had the complete opposite belief in opals, viewing them
as nothing but bad luck.. Always the Right Gift A gift of Opal
is symbolic of faithfulness and confidence. And the wide range
of choices in opal make them a perfect gift for anyone: Black
Opal – the stone has a dark body tone in comparison to a white
opal. White Opal – also known as ‘milky opal’, featuring light
white body tones Boulder Opal – very dark and beautiful in color
Crystal Opal – any opal with a transparent or semi-transparent
body tone. Forms of crystal opal include black crystal and white
crystal. Fire Opal – an American term meaning any opal that
displays a significant amount of red coloring. Mexican fire opal
is a different kind of opal, which displays orange coloring)