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October
Stone: Pink Zircon or Tourmaline and Opal |
Zircon, thought by
many to be relatively new to the gem market, has been with us for many
centuries. In the middle ages zircon was worn to promote riches, honor and
wisdom.
It was also believed to drive away plaques and evil spirits.
The name is believed to originate from the Persian word "Zargun",
which means "Gold colored", due to the yellow color of the stones
found there.
Zircon gained popularity in the 1880's and was used extensively in Victorian jewelry.
Primary sources for zircon include Sri Lanka, Kampuchea, Burma, Thailand and
Australia.
Pink Zircon is the birthstone for the month of October and is designated for the
7th Wedding Anniversary.
Tourmaline
Tourmaline take its
name from the ancient word turmali which means, "mixed precious
stones."
Pink Tourmaline (along with Opal) is the birthstone for October.
Green Tourmaline is designated for the 10th Wedding Anniversary and Rubellite
for the 17th.
Tourmaline occurs in all colors as well as colorless.
Familiar varieties include rebellite (deeper shades of pink to red), indicolite
(blue), chrome (intense green) plus bi-colored and parti-colored (multiple
colors within the same stone). Tourmaline is found mainly in Brazil,
Africa and the U.S.
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Opal takes its
name from the Latin word "Upala" meaning
"Precious Stone".
Pliny, a learned Roman scholar, described opal as having "the first
of the carbuncle, the brilliant purple of the amethyst and the sea-green
color of the emerald, all shining together in incredible union".
The Romans believed opal was the symbol of hope and purity.
They called it "Cupid Paederos" (Child as beautiful as love) and
thought the wearer safe from disease.
T he Arabs believe that opals fell from heaven in flashes of lightning and
thus acquired their marvelous play of color.
Ancient Greeks also believed the opal had the power of giving foresight
and the light of prophecy to their owners.
To help preserve their beauty, opal should be treated with care due to
their fragile nature.
Opal is the birthstone of October and is designed for the 13th Wedding Anniversary. |
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