It's The Most Colorful Time of The Year!

Welcome to October, a month filled with (fall) color from flora, fauna and birthstones alike! Both October birthstones, opal and tourmaline, offer a multitude of color options whether it's the many hues combined inside an opal, or the dozens of tints that tourmalines are found in, making October a most colorful month! Opals are believed to have originated from India, and got their name from the Sanskrit word ‘Upala’, which means precious stone. Australia is now the main source of the world's opal supply, with access to unique varieties like black opal found in Lightning Ridge, Australia. Though opal was wrongly given a reputation as being unlucky from an 1829 novel, many peoples throughout history have identified opal as a bringer of hope and truth, and is even seen as coming straight from the heavens in Bedouin lore. Tourmaline, which is now a well known and popular stone, was misidentified as an emerald in the 1500s by a Spanish conquistador working in Brazil due to the likeness with the green tourmaline he found. Due to this mistake, tourmaline wasn’t identified as a distinct gem until the 1800s. Once identified properly, tourmaline was recognized as a stone with one of the widest color ranges, including the prized vibrant blue paraiba tourmaline. Tourmaline has a rich history in America as there are large tourmaline deposits in states like Maine and California. So when you need to add some color to a dull outfit, reach for October’s opal or tourmaline!