Written by Florence Neau of Athena Jewellery
Depending on the size,
colour, cuts, treatments, location and availability, gemstones vary
greatly in price but many of them are a lot more affordable than
people think. More importantly, they are fascinating and we thought
we could share some basic information and pictures with you, starting
with birthstones.
In the UK, October is the
month of the Opal. It is also a 14th anniversary gemstone.
|
Dentrite Opal |
I’ve always thought
Opals were all white-yellowish stones with this lovely Shimmering
rainbow of colours (called opalescence), but as it turns out there are
many different types of Opals, too many to describe here, but know
that they are not all shimmering and come in a variety of colours and
from all over the world.
Often, the thinnest pieces of opals are
glued to another stone such as Obsidian to prevent it from breaking.
It is called opal doublets or opal triplets if the opal is sandwiched
between two other stones.
|
Fire Opal |
I learnt at my own
expense that opals are very fragile and are prone to crack easily. I
discovered after breaking a small bead that one of the main
components of opals was water and therefore opals can literally dry
out!
If you have the
opportunity to acquire an opal, do not be afraid to keep it hydrated
with some (cold) water by using a moist cloth, especially if it is
part of a jewellery piece as you only want to wet the opal. Note that
opals will not do too well if exposed to heat.
I did some research on
the meaning of opals in terms of physical and spiritual benefits and
the most recurring word is Creativity. It is meant to stimulate the
imagination, a true crafter’s stone!
Health wise, Opal is
believed to purify the blood and kidneys.
In USA and some other
countries, Tourmaline is also accepted as an official October
Gemstone.
The
name tourmaline comes from the Singhalese word(s) tura mali or
turmali, which translate to something like stones with mixed
colours. I have seen different spellings of the word and different
translations, but you get the gist.
There are many colour variations
found all over the world. Each colour, the stone
gets a different name. So for example a red tourmaline is known as
Rubellite, a black tourmaline is known as a schorl
etc. So like me, you may have heard about Tourmaline under
a different name.
Some tourmaline change
colour depending on the light and some have 2 colours and are simply
known as bicoloured tourmaline.
The
type of tourmaline that seems the most in demand is the Paraiba
tourmaline, a gemstone of an intense blue, which was not discovered
until the 80’s in the Brazilian state of Paraiba. Prices vary but
these are rare and quite expensive!
Tourmaline is a stone that
can increase flexibility, happiness, hope, objectivity, compassion
and serenity. It also enhances tolerance and understanding.
Health wise, tourmaline is
known to have a detoxifying effect and helps relieving stress.
|
Ethopian Opal |
|
Pink Opal |
All photographs courtesy of Florence Neau, Athena Jewellery
Next Month: Topaz and
Citrine