The October birthstone is Opal
Anyone born in October has Opal, Tourmaline as their birthstone, all three being recognised in the modern list. The stone is typically iridescent. The older traditional list gives Opal instead.
What is the birthstone for October?
Opal, and since the list was extended, Tourmaline as well. Any of them is correct, which is mostly a convenience: it gives a wider range of prices and colours for the same month.
Why are there two different October birthstones?
Because there are two lists. The traditional stones descend from much older European and Middle Eastern associations, which varied by region and never fully agreed. The modern list was fixed in 1912 by the American jewellery trade to end that confusion, and it replaced Opal with Opal for October. Both are defensible; the modern one is what shops use. Lists in other countries differ again, so a British, Indian or Japanese list may not match this one.
What colour is the October birthstone?
Opal is iridescent. Natural stones vary considerably in tone and saturation, so two stones of the same type can look quite different, and colour alone is not a reliable way to identify one.
Questions
- What is the birthstone for October?
- Opal, Tourmaline.
- What colour is it?
- Opal is iridescent.
- What is the October birth flower?
- Marigold.
- Does the birthstone depend on the day, not just the month?
- No. Birthstones are assigned by calendar month, so every date in October shares the same stone.
Every month
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