October babies, if you still haven’t reaped the benefits of your lucky birthstone, now is a great time to start. Whether you want to exude the main-character energy, bring your finances and wealth to full bloom or ward off any emotional turmoil – your lucky birth amulets might just help you attract it all. If you’re born in October, consider yourself blessed as you have two lucky birthstones at your disposal. Keep reading as we familiarise you with your birthstones and their history, benefits and significance.
Folks born in October have two lucky stones at their disposal: opal and tourmaline. While the mesmerisingly one-of-a-kind opal is the traditional birthstone of October and has always found associations with the autumn month, tourmaline is the modern birthstone known for displaying a rainbow of beautiful colours. Learn more about these fascinating gemstones below.
September lucky birthstone: History and significance
Opal
The name opal is believed to have originated in India, from the Sanskrit word upala, a ‘precious stone’. Known for its dramatic play of colour, the stone symbolises confidence and faithfulness. The first opals introduced in the West came from India, following which the Romans changed upala to opalus. The English meaning of the stone comes from the Greek opallos, which indicates ‘to see a change’.
In ancient Greece, opals were associated with oracles and prophecy. They believed that the crystal gave the power of foresight and protection from diseases. Meanwhile, in Ancient Rome, the stone was synonymous with hope and love. Bedouins, on the other hand, thought opal held lightning and fell from the sky during thunderstorms.
Even in modern times, opal continues to captivate the world for its magnificence. It has now become a symbol of creativity, inspiration, and artistic expression. Its array of electric colours fires up the imagination, imbuing people with ideas. It’s also a part of therapies and holistic healing practices to enhance one’s energy.
Tourmaline
The October modern birthstone gets its name from the Sinhalese word toramalli, which means a ‘stone mixed with multiple colours’. Because of its diverse colour range, tourmaline was believed to inspire artistic expression and was also often confused for other stones. Did you know that one of the supposed ‘rubies’ in the Russian crown jewels, the Caesar’s Ruby pendant, is actually just a red tourmaline?
Empress Cixi, or Tseu-Hi, who ruled China from 1861 to 1908 was the biggest tourmaline fan. She collected tourmaline objects, displaying them in full glory at the imperial court. She had everything from tourmaline sculptures, brooches, watch attachments, clothing buttons and more. Even now, she rests on a tourmaline cushion, as an ode to her passion for the stone.
In today’s day and age, tribes in Africa, Native Americans, and Aboriginal groups in Australia use tourmaline as a talisman to protect against dangers.
October lucky birthstone: Benefits
Opal
- Helps establish balance and emotional well-being.
- Stimulates imagination for developing new ideas and perspectives.
- Beneficial to attain peace, serenity, as well as satisfaction.
- Boosts decision-making skills and broadens the mind for new perspectives.
- For couples, opal helps improve understanding and mutual love to strengthen the relationship.
- Further, it’s also believed to enhance one’s intuitive abilities.
- Opal helps reinstate passion and love in relationships which have lost their spark.
Shop opal jewellery here
Tourmaline
- Known to eliminate fear and boost self-confidence, prosperity, compassion and tolerance.
- It acts as a healing stone for people born in October.
- Wearing the gemstone alleviates emotional roadblocks and tension.
- Tourmaline promotes self-love and harmony among family, friends or partners.
- It’s a great meditating stone, that believably improves your psychic abilities.
Shop tourmaline jewellery here
October lucky birthstone: Types
Opal
The primary way of distinguishing between opals is through the body colour or body tone. Opals can be divided into precious vs common. While precious opals flaunt an iridescent display of colours, the common ones have the same body tone all over. Check out the most popular opal types:
White Opal: Displaying a translucent white body with a play of colours, this precious variety looks so ethereal. These are commonly found in Australia, Brazil and Mexico.
Black Opal: The rarest opal variety, this one boasts a dark grey to black body tone. The Australian black Opal is the best type of precious opal and costs a lot owing to its rarity and sheer beauty. Ethiopia and Peru also famously produce Black Opal.
Brown Opal: This chocolate(y) variety is also a precious stone, having precious opal veins running through ironstone. It commonly occurs in Ethiopia as well as Australia.
Mexican Fire Opal: Flaunting an electric display of yellow, orange, and red, this variety belongs to Mexico. They have a transparent to translucent body, which makes them visually distinct from other opal varieties.
Pink Opal: Despite being a common opal variety, this type is famous for its pale pink/ bubblegum colour. They have a comfy, calming appearance and look delicately beautiful. Peru, Australia as well as the United States are the three major sites which mine this variety.
Tourmaline
Owing to the variations in chemical compositions, tourmaline gets a variety of colours. Check out the specific terms related to the most popular types of tourmaline:
Schorl: The most common tourmaline variety, it is typically black to brownish-black in colour. Because it’s rich in iron, it is used in certain industrial applications.
Rubellite: This is a pink or red tourmaline variety which is highly valued for its intense hue, making it popular among gemstone enthusiasts.
Verderite: This refers to green tourmaline. Verderite’s natural and earthy appearance makes it appealing.
Indicolite: Ranging from light blue to deep ocean blue, Indicolite’s desirability and rarity make it a top pick for collectors.
Uvite: While Uvite typically comes in black to brownish-black colours, it can display a range of brighter hues. Its name comes from the Uva province in Sri Lanka where it was first identified.
Elbaite: The most colourful member of the tourmaline family, Elbaite appears in pink, green, blue, yellow, and other varieties.
October babies, it’s time to reap the benefits of your birthstone.
(Hero image credit: Hans/ Pixabay, featured image credit: ArtsyBee/ Pixabay)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Opal and tourmaline are the two lucky birthstones for people born in October.
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Written by
Kriti Nayyar
Senior Digital Writer, Wellness, Culture, Astrology, Tech
Kriti is a stay-at-home dog mama, whose knack for telling interesting stories keeps her erstwhile monotonous life sane. A literature & journalism degree holder, you'll find her binging on Agatha Christie novels while critiquing the everyday state of affairs. On Kriti's seldom social outings, she's seen devouring coffee sangria with appetizing bread on the side.
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