"October's child is born for woe,
And life's viscissitudes must know,
But lay an opal on her breast,
And hope will lull those woes to rest."
Gregorian birthstone rhyme

 

Opals are a hydrated silica material, being many submicroscopic silica spheres bonded by water.  It is the patterned clusters of the silica material that reflects light and causes the play of colour called "fire" for which precious opals are famous.

Opals are associated with the god Cupid (Eros) and since they can contain all colours, they are one of the few stones that relate to all planets and elements. Opals are known to have been mined in Europe since medieval times.  Monarchs treasured Opals, both for their beauty and for their presumed protective powers. They were set into crowns and worn in necklaces to ward off evil and to protect eyesight. These gemstones were also ground and ingested for healing and to ward off nightmares.  The Aztecs used fire opals, and these were later brought to Europe by the conquistadors. Opals have been used by both American Indians and Australian aboriginals to invoke visions and to aid in rituals such as the vision quest. It is interesting to see that the same stone has been traditionally used for the same purposes by people on opposite sides of the world!

In France, opals were at one time thought to help the wearer to become invisible.  While this is not literally the case, opals can be used in many types of auric work and astral projection, which do relate to a type of invisibility.  On the other side of that idea, one can wear opals to bring out one's inner beauty and to emenate a gentle, glowing confidence.

Note that the water in opal's structure may be critical for the optimal play of color. Over time, a once beautiful opal may become dull, due to the loss of water. For this reason, opal miners store their "rough" in jars full of water. It may be wise to store valuable opal jewelry the same way.

The traditional birthstone for October, Pink Tourmaline when heated, takes on a static electric charge, making it capable of attracting lightweight objects. No wonder this gemstone was revered for its mystical properties centuries ago! Considered the "stone of the muse," it was believed to stimulate the creative process of its wearer. Pink varieties of Tourmaline are mined in Brazil, Afghanistan, Burma, and India. A gift of this stone is symbolic of hope.

Note: While opal is the stone most commonly associated with October, all months have more than one birthstone, due to varying traditions around the world.  Also, as the zodiac signs begin and end mid-month, a person's zodiac birthstone will not necessarily match the birthstone from the month in which they are born. In October Libra, with Opal as its birthstone, is the sign until the 22nd. Then Scorpio takes over with the birthstone Topaz, so October Scorpios have both Opal and Topaz as legitimate birthstones.