Little Known Facts About Opal and Tourmaline!

October is one of the few months that have two main birthstones to call their own. The brilliant Opal and the crystalline Tourmaline were highlighted in last year’s October blog, so this year we thought we would regale you with a few lesser-known facts about these gorgeous gemstones.

Let’s start with the opal, which is maybe the most magical of them all. Our guests love this brilliant birthstone because of its kaleidoscope-like appearance. As light refracts, the opal becomes truly mesmerizing. 

What you might not have known is that opal was actually found on, you guessed it, Mars. We haven’t been there yet to see for ourselves, so we’re taking NASA’s word for it. As you can see, Opals look like a galaxy on their own, and these versions are actually referred to as “precious.” The brilliant Opal needs to be treated with care due to their relatively high water content. 

Tourmaline also shares October’s shine, and some versions also have a kaleidoscope-like look everyone loves. The electricity you feel when wearing it is no accident, as these gems actually become electrically charged when rubbed or warmed! Not enough to pay your power bills, but we digress.

Pink, watermelon and black are the most desired tourmalines, and usually the most expensive. There is an elusive, rare variety of tourmaline that gives a special reflection and actually looks like a cat’s eye, and it’s unsurprisingly known as “cat’s eye tourmaline.” We haven’t found this version yet, but we can’t wait to show it to you when we do!