OCTOBER BIRTHSTONE : OPAL AND TOURMALINE
4:29 PM
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| Paraiba Tourmaline Ring. Photo Credit: 1st Dibs |
Happy Birthday to all that share this month, you enviably have two birthstones!
Since there is much information to cover on each birthstone, I will discuss each gemstone in separate posts. Each are deserving of their own turn in the spotlight. We already covered Opal, you can read our post here.
Before modern mineralogy, gemstones were often confused with other species of same coloring. Great historical examples of mistaken identity are Ruby, Peridot and Tourmaline.
Upon discovery in Brazil during the 1500's, Tourmaline was mistaken for Emerald, along with any unearthed green gemstone. The confusion over Tourmaline's true identity continued well into the 1800's until scientists recognized this beauty as a distinct mineral species of its own. Tourmaline is named for this case of mistaken identity. Its meaning translates to "mixed gem" in Sinhala, as spoken in Sri Lanka.
Tourmalines come in a variety of exciting colors, they occur in various shades of every hue, and enjoy one of the widest color ranges of any gem species! One of the most sought-after (and available) colors occurring in Tourmaline is the pink/red variety and known as rubellite. Also, green Tourmalines can be strongly pleochroic, meaning you will see attractive color in both directions such as bright green on one side, and blue on another. Pleochroic gemstones are known to be valuable due to this phenomenon.
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| Faceted Tourmaline Gemstones. Photo credit : GIA |
Paraiba Tourmaline was discovered in the late 1980's and displayed striking neon blues and greens - it electrified the gem world! This rare and valuable Tourmaline had such unique and vivid coloring, it instantly stood apart from other Tourmalines. The demand for this stone became insatiable; Paraiba's continue to rise in value and popularity.
You may already be familiar with the bi-colored exotic color combinations of the fashionable watermelon variety. This fun and exotic multicolored zoning occurs in Watermelon Tourmaline when trace elements change in concentration (or composition) during the crystal's growth. Watermelon Tourmaline is plentiful, yet each slice is unique to the cut. Watermelon Tourmalines are usually fashioned into custom mountings created specifically for each stone.
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| Watermelon Tourmaline Slices |
Tourmaline is believed to evoke vibrations of happiness; a rainbow of positive emotions. Legends states every hue can unlock a separate emotion and aids in protection against negativity. Now, go choose a special tourmaline for yourself (or from my collection) and enjoy the unlimited happiness hidden within your hue!
Enjoy your birthstone. May it bring you all of these qualities and more.
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