Tourmaline
Tourmaline Gemstone Origin
Tourmaline makes its way to being a very popular jewelry stone, due to its amazing range of color varieties. The name tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese term "turmali," which was the name given to all colored crystals on the island of Sri Lanka.
Some believe that tourmaline was first found in the 1500s in Brazil, mistakenly confused to be an emerald by a Spanish conquistador until its finally identified to be its own mineral species. Some other agrees that the stone was first discovered by Dutch traders off the West Coast of Italy in the late 1600s.
Brazil and many parts of Africa are known to be the main deposits of Tourmaline and it is much known to be the stone to awaken someone from "the dream of illusion" by Africans.
Tourmaline as the October Birthstone
October 1 - 31
Tourmaline is a modern alternative to the October Birthstone, alongside its old-comer opal. It is also the gem of the eighth anniversary.
Color, Shades, and Varieties
Tourmaline represents a large group of related mineral species that exhibit many unusual optical and physical properties. It comes in a lot of different colors possible, including pale white, green, pink, soft purple, vivid purple, light blue, vibrant blue, red, orange, brown, gray, black, yellow, and even colorless.
The tourmaline species are divided into so many varieties. We listed out some of the most popular ones.
Dravite is the dark yellow and brown variety of tourmaline. Its brown color comes from its high magnesium content, as well as its sodium content.
Elbaite accounts for nearly all colorful gem-quality tourmaline. It is the most well-known and valuable form of the family. Elbaite includes rubellites (pink to red), green, indicolite (blue), and achroite (colorless)
Watermelon Tourmaline is the multi-colored elbaite variety of tourmaline. The green represents the skin of the watermelon, white makes up the rind, and pink is the sweet fruit.
Paraiba is the neon to electric blue, intense green, and vivid purple to violet in the color variant of the tourmaline. It is relatively rare and is among the world's most prized gemstones.
Multi-colored tourmaline is a variety of tourmaline containing two or more colors displayed in one crystal. Green and pink are among the most seen color combination with more other colors also available in the market.
Tourmaline Symbolism:
Representing wisdom, voice, insight, and creativity
Worn to promote sympathy towards others
Bring healing powers to a shaman or medicine man
Pink tourmaline represents a love of humanity and humanitarianism
Good for keeping the digestive system healthy as well as strengthening teeth and bones.
Grant enlightenment, give power over spiritual affairs, reconcile opposites, and change base metals to gold
Protects against all dangers.
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Opal
Opal Gemstone Origin
Opal is formed from a solution of silicon dioxide and water. Archaeological evidence suggests that Opal was first mined over 10,000 years ago in Northern America's Virgin Valley. Opal is also used in artifacts in Kenya 6 thousand years ago.
It is estimated that nearly 95% of the world's opal comes from Australia, with the rest of the deposits coming from other countries including Ethiopia, Brazil, and Mexico.
The name opal is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word upala, which means 'jewel', and later the Greek derivative opállios, which means 'to see a color change.' Opal is also known as the Queen of Gems. It is one of the most known beautiful gemstones.
Opal as the October Birthstone
October 1 - 31
Together with tourmaline, opal is the birthstone of October, with both birthstones having endless color combinations and beautiful coloring characteristics.
Color, Shades, and Varieties
Opal hues can range across the spectrum. An opal might display a single color, two or three colors, or all the colors of the rainbow.
Black opal is the dark background color variation of an Opal. It is the rarest, most valuable, and widely known type of opal.
White Opal appears to have translucent to opaque white and other light color backgrounds. This gemstone is characterized by its unique rainbow-like glitter effect.
Fire opal is transparent to translucent opal with a body color that is usually yellow, orange, or red. It is created when water seeps into silica-rich lava.
Boulder opal is translucent to opaque opal with play-of-color within a host rock that is mined from large ironstone boulders under the ground.
Crystal opal is transparent to semitransparent with a clear background that has internal play-of-color and fire exiting from the facets.
Opal Symbolism:
Give their owners the gift of prophecy and guarded them against disease
Representing amplification, a higher hope, and divine purity
Associated with love and passion, as well as desire and eroticism
Associated with the sacral chakra, imbalances which can cause problems with addictions
Promotes vision, intuition, and insight.
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