October has two beautiful gemstones as its birthstones: Tourmalines & Opals. Both of these beautiful stones are available in an array of colors. Having a choice offers October babies a wide variety of options in wearing or collecting the gemstones representing their birth month.
Tourmaline – Tourmaline has become the primary birthstone of October. Tourmalines are available in a wide array of colors making them very appealing for both gem collectors and jewelry designers. Tourmalines are also known for their bi-color and tri-color forms, meaning that 2 or even 3 different
colors exist distinctly within the same gemstone.

Tourmalines are mined in the following countries:

Brazil, Afghanistan, East Africa, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, The Soviet Union and USA (California & Maine)

Here are some colors or varietals for Tourmaline:

Green Tourmaline

Pink or Red Tourmaline

Rubellite– Tourmaline that is red in both daylight & incandescent light

Blue Tourmaline:

Indicolite– Dark greenish to grayish blue

Paraiba tourmaline– Bright blue in color this very rare form of Tourmaline was original discovered in the Paraiba state of Brazil.

Yellow, Orange, Brown or Golden Tourmaline

Colorless or White Tourmaline

Black Tourmaline- (Mineralogical name Schorl)

Bicolor or Multicolor Tourmaline-

Watermelon tourmaline is the most common type with pink & green concentric banding resembling a sliced watermelon.

Cats Eye Tourmaline- Cabochons featuring a band of reflected light resembling a “cats-eye”.

Color Change Tourmaline– color change in incandescent light. Very rare.

Opal – Opals are the older birthstone of October and they are still extremely popular and well-regarded for their colorful beauty and radiance. Opal derives from the Greek meaning “to
see a change” of color. Opals change appearance depending on their backgrounds and the base gemstone itself vary widely in color from milky white all the way through to black.

The greatest source for quality Opal in the world today is Australia, however Opal is also found in Brazil, Japan, Honduras, Mexico and the US.

Here are some colors and varietals for Opal:

Common Opal and Potch- Opal without play of color properties

Light Opal– Opal with play-of-color properties includes white, grey, crystal and jelly opal. White opal is the most common type and can be translucent to opaque

Black (Dark) Opal-Any opal which has a play-of-color against a dark background

Boulder Opal– Opal that is still attached to the rock in which it is found

Matrix Opal-Stones with lines or spots randomly scattered throughout the matrix or host rock

Fire Opal- Transparent or translucent opal with a red, orange, yellow or brownish color. Most commonly found in Mexico.

Hubert Gems offers a wide variety of options in Tourmalines and Opals in both finished jewelry and loose gemstones. We would love to create something exclusively for you to suit your taste, style and personality.

Contact Dee Dee at our LA design studio at 213-627-0234 for personalized assistance in selecting your stones and design. deedee@hubertgem.com