October Birthstones: Opal; Nature’s Kaleidoscope

What is an Opal?

Opal is a precious stone best known for its rainbow of spectral colours and patterns. It is made of tiny little spheres of silica, which are then surrounded by water. The size and arrangement of these spheres determines what colours are predominately displayed by an opal as they split the white light entering the stone into its spectral colours. Larger spheres can display all the colours, and are rarer. Smaller spheres are more common in the opal’s structure and will only show blue and greens. This is why opals with a predominant red colour are rarer and very sought after.

Where are Opals Found?

Opals are found all around the world, but the most famous opal deposits are right here in Australia. Most people know of Lightning Ridge in New South Wales for its black opals, and Coober Pedy in South Australia for its white and crystal opals, but Queensland also has amazing matrix opals; some of the most unique opals available.

Types of Opal

Precious Opal

Precious opal is any sort of opal that has ‘play of colour’, meaning that it shows spectral colours throughout the stone. Opal that does not have colour through the stone is called Common Opal; it is usually opaque to translucent and may be white, or lighter singular colours like blue, yellow, or pink.

White Opal

White opal is the most common form of precious opal. It has a white or translucent ‘milky’ base and shows spectral colours and patterns. Coober Pedy produces most of the world’s supply of this type of opal. These precious opals are usually the most affordable Australian opals.

Crystal Opal

Crystal opal shows the full spectrum of colour, and when cut is transparent of translucent. These normally appear a lot brighter than white opals as there’s no background colour to take away from the vibrant ‘play of colour’. Crystal opals are found in South Australia and New South Wales.

Black Opal

Most have heard of black opal; it is known for having a black or dark grey base that makes the spectral colours ‘pop’. Black opals with red or orange flashes are the most prized. Lightning Ridge is most known for its black opals.

Boulder Opal

Boulder opal is classified as a matrix opal, and generally still has some form of the ironstone host rock attached to the opal as it forms in thin veins. This type of opal produces some of the most unique pieces as the interplay between the ironstone and the opal means no two are quite the same.

Opal History and Fame

Since its discovery in Australia in the mid 1800s, Australia has unearthed a multitude of incredible opals. One of the most famous is the ‘Aurora Australis’, a black opal found in the 1930s at Lightning Ridge. Named as it resembled the Southern Lights, it weighs 180 carats and is just slightly smaller than a credit card. It is believed to be one of the most valuable black opals in the world today, and was valued at $1 million in 2005.

Symbolic Meaning of the Traditional October birthstone

The word opal was originally derived from the Ancient Greeks ‘opallos’ meaning ‘to see a change of colour’. Some ancient cultures believed that opals held lighting and that it fell from the sky during storms. The Greeks thought it protected from disease and gave the owner the gift of prophecy.

Opals are also the traditional gift for the 14th wedding anniversary. 

Tourmaline as the Modern October birthstone

In the 1912 America a new list of birthstones was released by The National Association of Jewellers; these are termed the ‘Modern Birthstones’. The modern October Birthstone is pink tourmaline, however tourmalines are known for their array of bright colours, with some stones having two or three colours in the one stone.

What is Tourmaline?

Tourmaline has been used in jewellery since its discovery in Brazil and Italy in the 1500s, but it wasn’t until the 1800s that it was identified as its own mineral. Before this time, this October birthstone was called ‘turamali’ which meant ‘unknown stone of mixed colour’. Tourmaline comes in multiple colours, with the more vivid colours such as the famous neon green ‘Paraiba’ tourmaline attracting high prices. The different colours are caused by different colouring elements such as iron or copper being introduced as the crystals are growing.

Tourmaline is traditionally gifted on the 8th wedding anniversary

What is Watermelon Tourmaline?

Watermelon tourmaline is a tourmaline that has formed with a pink centre and colourless and green outer layers. When sliced it looks like a watermelon, although faceted pieces also are attractive for their multiple colours.

Care and Cleaning of Opal

Opal is a softer stone more prone to wear and tear than gemstones such as diamonds or sapphires. As such there’s some key guidelines to make sure your opal jewellery stays looking fantastic for many years to come.

Opals can contain up to 30% water, so it is important that they aren’t exposed to extreme heat as they can dry out and ‘craze’, which is not something that can be fixed. Always make sure you store your opals somewhere cool, and somewhere that has moisture in the air; if storing in a safe it’s important to ensure there’s a source of moisture with the opal such as a cotton ball soaked in water and that it is check periodically.

Opals are porous, so they can also soak up chemicals and contaminants over time such as soaps, perfumes and jewellery cleaner. If you need to clean a piece of your opal jewellery its best to seek professional advice.

As opals are soft, they can be damaged by bumps which other gemstones can handle. Always take your opal jewellery off if you’re doing manual labour, working with chemicals, or think there might be a chance where your opal may be knocked or scuffed on something.

Care and Cleaning of Tourmaline

Tourmalines are a harder wearing gemstone (but still softer than diamond and sapphire), so if you’re worried about being too rough for an opal for everyday wear, a tourmaline is a great alternative for those wanting a birthstone for October.

Birthstone Jewellery

Here at Diamondport we pride ourselves on providing a fully custom, bespoke jewellery service. We can create your dream October birthstone opal or tourmaline piece! If you’re short of time though feel free to check out these tourmaline earrings that are made to order with shorter turn-around times. 

Book your private consultation today, and let our skilled jewellers create a piece of jewellery as unique as you. 

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