All About October's Birthstone: Opal

Welcome to the first installment to our Birthstone Blog Briefs. This one is for the Libras and Scorpios born in the spooky month of October. Like many other months, there are two stones associated with the birth month of October - tourmaline, and opal. Tourmaline is a beautiful semi-precious stone found in various colors, however in this post, we will be highlighting the beautiful gemstone that is opal.

The Meaning of the October Birthstone

As with any birthstone, the opal birthstone is significant in many ways:

• The word "opal" comes from the Sanskrit word upala, which means "jewel", the Latin word opalus, meaning "precious jewel", as well as the ancient Greek word opallios, meaning "to see a change in color".
• The Opal gemstone symbolizes both confidence and faith.
• The Opal is a stone of hope, creativity, inspiration, and innocence — all qualities that people born in October bear.
• The ancient Romans believed opal would protect the wearer against bad luck, harm, and danger.
• Opals help to control temper and calm nerves.
• For centuries, people have associated this stone with good fortune and good luck.
• People born under this birthstone are quietly confident. They are people who are driven by actions instead of words.
• People who are attracted to opal are motivated and inspired to excel and be an inspiration to others. They are hopeful and are always looking forward to the best that life can offer.

The Color of the October Birthstone

Opals can exist in many different colors. White Opals are predominantly white with light sparkles emitting the colors of the rainbow. Black Opals are mostly gray, blue, or black. Another type of Opal is the Fire Opal. This is a transparent Opal whose body color ranges from orange, red, and yellow. Opal’s distinctive play of color was explained when a group of scientists discovered that it is made up of microscopic silica spheres that diffract light and display different colors of the rainbow. The most unique part about opal is the color can be completely different depending on the angle and lighting in which you view it. Every opal will have a truly one-of-a-kind color and pattern.

The History of the October Birthstone

In 1829, Sir Walter Scott published the bestselling novel, Anne of Geuerstein, where the opal was portrayed as an evil stone that brought bad luck. As a result of this novel the opal market crashed immediately. However, nearly 50 years later the first opal was discovered in Australia, reviving the opal market. Australia has produced 95% of the world’s Opal supply. It’s also mined in some parts of the United States, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Honduras, Brazil, and Mexico. While not as rare as it used to be before the discovery of rich mines in Australia, its varied colors and their interaction still make the opal birthstone a prized and cherished gift. After scientists discovered Opal’s spherical silica structure in the 1960s, they discovered how to synthesize Opal in 1974. Opal is a relatively soft stone, ranking at a 6 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Synthetic Opal tends to be much more durable as the method of creating synthetic opal has slowly been perfected over time. Nowadays, most opal jewelry is of the synthetic variant.

Our Favorite Ways to Wear Opal

Opal is a staple to the Patrick Adair Designs brand. We offer a variety of unique styles for you to flaunt this October birthstone. Below are a few of our favorite ways to wear Precious Opal Rings.

The Obsidian Opal Ring

The Obsidian Opal Ring is made out of solid bello opal that shimmers a variety of colors with a smooth blue background. This ring starts as a solid piece of rough opal that is then machined into a ring blank. A hand faceted "obsidian" finish is applied to the ring to create even more facets and angles for the different colors to reflect on. Depending on the lighting and angles, the ring will show off different colors and hues. This ring is infused with a durable resin that makes it incredibly strong and crack-resistant.

The Halo Ring 

A ring with no limits and made with the best materials sourced from every corner of the universe. We wanted to create a ring that contained as much history in it as an entire museum while being durable enough to last a lifetime. The Halo Ring achieves this perfectly. In addition to containing authentic meteorite and t-rex tooth, the Halo Ring features a premium inlay of Australian Rainbow Matrix Opal, Ethiopian Fire Opal, and Ethiopian Welo Opal. The Australian Rainbow Matrix Opal is sourced from the opal field of Andamooka, Australia. This opal is embedded with thousands of tiny crystal opals, giving off a rainbow of colors. The Ethiopian Fire Opal and Welo Opal both get their names from the Wollo province of Ethiopia and give off a vibrant array of colors, with the latter giving off orange, yellow, and reddish hues.

Opal Glowstone Rings

Made to look like Glowing Stones, our trailblazing Glowstone Rings are made up of two sections. The exterior is made from a luxury grade metal band. The interior channel is made from our proprietary Glowstone material. We offer a large selection of Glowstone Rings that are rich with opals. These opals are sourced directly from Patrick Adair Supplies and are offered in a rainbow of colors. 

Conclusion

Along with opal, pink tourmaline is the other recognized birthstone for the month of October.

With a wide variety of base colors ranging from cloudy white to profound dark shades of black, the opal birthstone is known for its striking play of colors covering the entire spectrum of the rainbow.

Although Australia is, without doubt, the biggest broker of opal, this gemstone can be found in various other countries including Turkey, Ethiopia, Mexico, and the United States.

For a long time believed to be able to bring good luck to its wearer, the opal is associated with values like loyalty, hope, and purity.

Even though it is no longer as coveted as it used to be, the opal birthstone is a unique take on the traditional birthstone, and makes for a perfect gift for a loved one born in the month of October. 

Are you looking for November Birthstone Jewelry? Discover the meaning and history of the citrine and topaz.

Ready to shop for Opal? 

Browse our Opal Birthstone Collection