October Birthstones

October birthstones include opal in the western and Ayurvedic traditions, and tourmaline, also in the western tradition. Jasper is the birthstone for October in the mystical/Tibetan tradition.

When you hear “opal,” most people think of the iridescent light-colored stone with flashes of yellow, orange, red, blue and/or green fire. That is precious opal, and there are many kinds of it, such as Australian black opal, Ethiopian opal, Spencer opal (from Idaho), and Oregon opal.

Opal is beautiful, but are there other reasons we like to wear it? Or even avoid it? You’ve undoubtedly heard that it’s unlucky to wear opal you buy for yourself, or for anyone born in a month other than October to wear an opal. The first superstition was marketing disinformation spread intentionally by diamond traders in the 1800s to make opal less popular as a gemstone. The second superstition arose  from a novel written in the 1800s (Anne of Geierstein by Sir Walter Scott). In fact, through most of history, opal has been regarded as the luckiest and most magical of all gems because it can show all colors.

You can read more about opal HERE.

Opal can look like rainbows shimmering in water, and this watery quality suggests opal’s ability to harmonize and soothe the emotional energy field. Opal traditionally also relates to visions and sight. Like its compositionally related sister, quartz, opal amplifies energy. It’s considered to be a “stone of happy dreams and happy changes.” Specific types and colors of opal have additional properties:

  • Peruvian opals in shades of pale green to blue work with heart and throat chakras, soothing and energizing these areas.

  • Pink and orange opal, associated with sacral to heart chakras, helps to increase energy levels and to lift moods.

  • Precious opal with rainbow colors, associated with third eye to crown chakras, helps with intuition and meditation, improving stability and flow of energy through those centers.

  • Common (potch) opal can be different colors; all help stabilize the emotions and provide a lift in self-love.

Tourmaline is the beautiful alternative to opal for October’s birthstone . A hard, translucent borosilicate mineral well-suited to polishing and faceting, tourmaline comes in many colors, from pale yellows and greens, to reds, pinks, and blues. One of the most famous types of tourmaline is “watermelon” tourmaline, with a color variation from green to pink in a single crystal.

The main types of tourmaline include:

Elbaite - often pink center with blue, green or yellow zones; sodium/lithium rich; includes watermelon tourmaline.

Rubellite - red or pinkish red

Indicolite - light to dark blue to bluish green

Verdelite - green 

Dravite - brown

Uvite - dark green-black, brown, red (rare)

You can read more about tourmaline HERE.

What is tourmaline’s appeal, aside from beautiful colors and sparkle? Energetically tourmaline energy acts to clear, to maintain, and to stimulate each of the energy centers of the body. It is thought to bring healing powers to the user and to provide protection for all dangers occurring in the physical plane. It provides balancing of all aspects of the being.

Jasper, the birthstone in the mystical tradition, is one of the most common stones, compositionally the same as quartz, but fine-grained and opaque. It comes in many different colors and patterns, from red to orbicular versions such as ocean or rain forest jasper. You can read more about jasper HERE.