October is a popular month for many reasons.  It’s known for its crisp, cool air, the heady smell of leaves in the air and, of course, pumpkin spice everything.  But October boasts one more benefit.  People who are born in October have their choice of two gorgeous gemstones as their birthstone of choice.

Both Opal and Tourmaline are considered official birthstones for the month of October.   Each of these stones are known for their rich coloring and dazzling natural patterns.  The stones share a similar origin story as well, with each of them rumored to have been formed by rainbows.

Opals have been admired throughout history for their beauty and connection to the Earth.  The richest opal deposits in the world are located in Australia and the Aborigines have many stories associated with these gems.

There are two main stories Australian Aborigines have for the creating of opals.  In one, they simply say The Creator “took the colours of the rainbow, and put them into stone” to create these colorful stones.  In another story, they say The Creator came to Earth and with each step, the ground turned into droplets of color and light – the world’s first opals.

Tourmaline, on the other hand, is said to have gleaned its beauty and diverse coloring from rainbows along the way.  As legend has it, this stone rose from the depths of the Earth, traveling along places where rainbows had touched the ground.

In truth, opals are formed when water passes through layers of the Earth.  The water picks up tiny particles of silica along the way, eventually settling and forming the amazing deposits of dazzling gemstone.   Tourmaline, on the other hand, is literally born in fire.  The creation of tourmaline happens when fresh water, rain water and magma coming together.  As the mixture of water and magma cools, it creates veins of tourmaline.  Its color can vary widely, depending on the minerals and composition of the rain water.

Both opals and tourmaline feature dazzling and dynamic colors, mixtures of hues and shades alongside amazing contrasts and lowlights.  This makes both stones perfectly paired as October birthstones.  The firey and dynamic colors so often associated with October are also often seen in these amazing gemstones.