October marks the tip of summer season and the start of fall season, ushering in not solely sweater climate and pumpkin-spice all the things but in addition two new birthstones: opal and tourmaline. Every October birthstone is exclusive—and never simply on the floor stage. On the earth of therapeutic crystals, they’re believed to be imbued with energetic powers that individuals can faucet into, no matter whether or not they have been born within the month of October.
To grasp distinctive properties of opal and tourmaline, Nicely+Good spoke with crystal skilled at Tiny Rituals Brett Larkin and numerologist and licensed crystal healer Pleasure Woodward concerning the October birthstones.
Properties of opal, the October birthstone of transformation
- Birthstone colour: Iridescent
- Component: Water
- Planet: Venus
- Chakra: All chakras
- Origin: Various
Opal consists of silica, and it is available in two major varieties: widespread and valuable opals, the latter of which is often related to the month of October, says Woodward. Based on Larkin, valuable opals have a prismatic high quality that not solely units it other than its counterpart, but in addition all different gems. Its intrinsic microstructure—consisting of tiny and tightly packed silica spheres—permits the stone to diffract white gentle right into a kaleidoscope of colours, which change because the opal or the viewer shifts.
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This prism-like impact can also be what makes valuable opal so prized amongst jewelers, and although it may be sourced from world wide, like Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, and the US, Woodward says most valuable opals come from Australia.
Birthstone that means and symbolism of opal
Opal is a stone of pleasure, however it’s also an “emotional amplifier,” says Woodward. Whether or not you’re comfortable, offended, or unhappy, opal can amplify your present emotional state—and furthermore, illuminate the emotional energies that you simply could be lurking beneath the floor. This makes opal very best for shadow work, she says, because the stone can present an help in serving to you determine your shadows—an necessary step within the therapeutic course of.
What’s extra, it may transmute these energies and feelings into one thing constructive. “It offers therapeutic to the proprietor by boosting vibrations to realize larger bliss,” says Larkin. Not solely that, she says that it may deliver concord and steadiness to its proprietor, too. Like clear quartz, valuable opal hyperlinks to all the seven chakras, working to “pull all the things into alignment” and concurrently “pull out what must go,” says Woodward, like damaging vitality and feelings.
Properties of tourmaline, the October birthstone of compassion and tolerance
- Birthstone colour: Pink
- Component: Water
- Planet: Venus
- Chakra: Coronary heart chakra
- Origin: Various
Tourmaline is a semiprecious stone that “is available in each colour,” says Larkin. “A few of these stones can truly change colour, showing inexperienced in fluorescent gentle and purple beneath incandescent gentle.” Whereas every number of tourmaline is particular in their very own means, it’s pink tourmaline that’s usually related to the month of October, says Woodward. “It’s primarily present in Brazil, but in addition Madagascar, Russia, within the US, Africa, and Sri Lanka.”
Birthstone that means and symbolism of tourmaline
Typically talking, tourmaline symbolizes “pleasure, generosity, and creativity,” says Larkin. “Tourmaline can also be a stone of reconciliation by providing compassion and the power to maintain a cool head in difficult instances.” As such, pink tourmaline shares a few of these qualities, however Woodward says, it may additionally “wrap you in a loving vitality and gives safety and freedom from fear and negativity.” On this means, one may consider pink tourmaline as a pressure area powered by love.
“I all the time wish to suppose you’re placing your self in a bubble of pink, sparkly gentle once you’ve obtained a pink tourmaline,” says Woodward. “It may well restore cracks, tears, and holes in your aura to give you that safety.” In the identical means that tourmaline basically may help customers domesticate extra compassion and maintain a cool head, pink tourmaline also can assist direct a consumer’s vitality in direction of kindness and tolerance whereas stopping impulsive reactions.
Given {that a} loving vitality is on the core of pink tourmaline, it additionally corresponds to the center chakra. It may well assist open you to receiving and giving love, says Woodward, in addition to heal emotional wounds and previous points that may weigh closely on the center.
With these in thoughts, it’s clear that opal and pink tourmaline have distinctive properties, however each may be helpful to anybody who desires to harness their energetic powers. Based on Larkin, they are often nice stones for Libras and Scorpios born in October, and opal and tourmaline may even work synergistically to help these zodiac indicators, says Larkin.
Consider Libra, as an illustration. “Though Libras have many strengths, together with their ardour for ensuring that these round them are comfortable, one in every of their vital weaknesses is avoiding battle, inflicting them to really feel burnt out,” she says. “Nonetheless, opal’s skill to deliver concord, paired with tourmaline’s reconciliation traits, may help Libras face battle healthily by permitting them to maintain calm when having tough conversations and resolving issues.”
Based on Larkin, indecisiveness is one other one in every of Libra’s traits that the October birthstones may help deliver into steadiness. “Libras can typically be indecisive, so readability and steerage from opal, on prime of the knowledge from tourmaline, can maintain them grounded and assist them make selections beneath stress,” she says.
As for Scorpio, Larkin says that they will mood the zodiac signal’s vindictive aspect. “Scorpios are identified for being extremely loyal, however their weak point lies inside their sturdy persona, which might trigger them to be vengeful,” she says. “As opal is superb for offering steadiness, this may help Scorpios to stabilize their feelings and take care of them pretty as an alternative of being resentful, whereas tourmaline may help them discover compassion in instances of battle and stop them from resorting to excessive measures.”
One other one in every of Scorpio’s traits is stubbornness—they usually can cling to emotions of anger or resentment when wronged. Opal and tourmaline may help overcome these emotions. “Opal’s harmonic traits and tourmaline’s skill to help reconciliation may help Scorpios discover forgiveness and make amends with family members,” says Larkin.
What are birthstones?
Birthstones are gems that characterize an individual’s beginning month or zodiac signal. Their origins are believed to hint again to biblical instances, and the first-century historian Flavius Josephus related the 12 gems on Aaron’s breastplate within the Guide of Exodus with the months of the yr and the 12 zodiac indicators. Nonetheless, the customized of sporting a person gem monthly didn’t start till across the fifteenth or sixteenth century in Germany or Poland. Birthstones are additionally discovered to have origins in Jap Tradition. The Ratna Pariksha, a fifth-century Hindu textual content, linked particular gems to deities, celestial our bodies, and days of the week, whereas Vedic astrologers advocate sure gems to people based mostly on their astrological beginning chart.
In 1912, the American Council Affiliation of Jewelers (which is at present often called the Jewelers of America) created a standardized record of birthstones in the US. This record was up to date by the Jewellery Business Council of America and later by The American Gem Commerce Affiliation to incorporate new sorts of birthstones for sure months of the yr.
An outline of the birthstones for each month of the yr
Wish to choose a crystal that corresponds to your beginning month? Right here’s a fast overview of the birthstones for each month of the yr:
Often requested questions concerning the October birthstones
Why does October have two birthstones?
Whereas opal is the unique birthstone for October, tourmaline grew to become the second birthstone for the month in later years, permitting individuals to pick out an choice that corresponds to their preferences.
What’s the birthstone for Libra?
The birthstone that’s generally related to Libras born in August is peridot, whereas Libras born in October are usually linked to opal and tourmaline.
What’s the birthstone for Scorpio?
Scorpios born within the month of October are usually related to the month’s birthstones—specifically, opal and tourmaline, whereas these born in November may be linked to topaz and citrine.
