Are you looking for a gift for a loved one with a birthday
in October? Birthstone jewellery makes an ideal present, as not only are the
gemstones beautiful, they are embedded with significance.
Opal
Opals are
famous for their play of colours when moved. This shimmering effect and flash
of colour is caused by the interference of light on small cracks and other
internal structural differences. The different colours are caused by various
chemical inclusions; yellows and reds betray the presence of iron oxides. The
spectacular black opals that sometimes flash green, blue and red get their
color from magnesium oxides and organic carbon within the stone. Opals can also
be milky in appearance, caused by the inclusions of tiny gas bubbles. Opals are
formed in near-surface volcanic rocks, within cavities and cracks.
The main
source of opals is Australia,
where black opals are found. Fire opals were first mined in Mexico, and continue to be produced
today. In the United States,
brilliant fire opals are also found in Nevada.
Other commercial sources of opal are Brazil,
Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala,
Japan and Ireland.
The name opal is derived
from the Sanskrit word “upala,” as well as the Latin “opalus,” meaning
“precious stone.”
The Opal
has a rich history. In Roman times, the opal was perceived as a symbol of love
and hope. Orientals called it the “anchor of hope.” Arabs say it fell from the
heavens in flashes of lightning. The ancient Roman natural historian Pliny once
described it in the following way.
“… it is made up of the
glories of the most precious stones. To describe it is a matter of inexpressive
difficulty: There is in it the gentler fire of the ruby, the brilliant purple
of the amethyst, the sea-green of the emerald, all shining together in an
incredible union.”
In
Elizabethan England the opal was treasured for its beauty. Shakespeare wrote of
it in the Twelfth Night as the “queen of gems.” Queen Victoria presented her children with opal
jewellery, thus making the stone popular.
The opal is a beautiful stone, each one is unique.
Tourmaline
The name of
this gemstone is thought to come from the Sri Lankan word “toramalli,” a term
applied to yellow, green or brown stones, that means “something little out of
the earth.”
Tourmaline
is a complex aluminous borosilicate mineral built of crystals.
Other
metals are present within the crystal structure, and are responsible for the
characteristic colors of the gemstones.
A valued
variety of tourmaline that has 2 colours is called ‘watermelon’ tourmaline.
This particular type is found in Brazil. The outer edges of the gem
are green, transitioning to a transparent white zone that gives way to a pink
or light red interior.
Tourmaline is known as the ‘peace stone’,
believed to dispel fear and make its wearer calm.
