Jewels That Dance

  • About
    • About Us
    • Meet the Crew
    • Philanthropy
    • South African Adventure
    • Our Billboards
    • Our Videos
    • Watch Our Commercials
  • Blog

October Birthstones: A Rainbow of shades and color combinations!

Posted on October 16, 2019 //

October Birthstones!

Individuals born in October get to choose between two birthstones — tourmaline and opal. Each birthstone comes in a rainbow of shades and color combinations, giving October babies a variety of options.

Between tourmaline (whose color depends on trace elements in its chemical makeup) and opal (which diffracts light to show a play of multiple colors), October’s birthstones offer a full spectrum of gemstones to suit anyone’s personal tastes.

The name “opal” originates from the Greek word opallios, which meant “to see a change in color.” Opal’s characteristic “play-of-color” was explained in the 1960s, when scientists discovered that it’s composed of microscopic silica spheres that diffract light to display various colors of the rainbow.

Since opal was discovered in Australia around 1850, the country has produced 95 percent of the world’s supply. Opal is also mined in Mexico, Brazil, Honduras, Ethiopia, the Czech Republic and parts of the U.S., including Nevada and Idaho.

For centuries, people have associated this precious gemstone with good luck. The Opal was a symbol of hope to the ancient Romans. The people of the Orient christened the Opal, ‘Anchor of Hope’. According to Arabic legend, opals fell from the sky in bolts of lightning. Australian aborigines, meanwhile, believed that the creator came to Earth on a rainbow, leaving these colorful stones where his feet touched the ground.

 

TOURMALINE

Egyptian legend tells that tourmaline found its famed array of colors when, on its journey up from the Earth’s center, it passed through a rainbow.

The name “tourmaline” comes from the Sinhalese words tura mali, which mean “stone of mixed colors.” As its name implies, tourmaline stands apart from other gemstones with its broad spectrum of colors in every shade of the rainbow.

Tourmaline is not one mineral, but a fairly complex group of minerals with different chemical compositions and physical properties. Certain trace elements produce distinct colors, and many resulting varieties have their own names:

Tourmaline is mined in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Mozambique, Madagascar, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the U.S.—primarily Maine and California.

Tourmaline is desirable because of its sheer range of color options. Combined with a good hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, tourmaline makes very wearable birthstone jewelry.

 

 

Filed Under: Blog, Featured //

Store Hours • Monday-Saturday: 10:30-6:00

63 Haywood Street • Asheville, North Carolina • 828-254-5088 • facebook_2instagrammail

jewelers-of-americasouthern-highlands-craft-guild

Paula Dawkins Fine Jewelry

Hi, I’m Paula Dawkins. Thanks so much for visiting Jewels That Dance and for all your support over the past 36 years.  After a wonderful run in downtown Asheville, Carol and I decided it was time to close Jewels That Dance.  After making this decision, I realized I wasn’t quite ready to stop doing what I so love: making jewelry!  I’ve decided to stay put in my studio and open a custom design and fine jewelry repair shop.  Pete, our master jeweler, is joining me and we invite you to visit Paula Dawkins Fine Jewelry.  We hope to see you soon.

Jewels That Dance: downtown pioneer to close after 36 years – Asheville Citizen Times