October Birthday stone
Opal is the October Birthday stone
When it comes to the opal birthstone meaning and symbolism, the stone has been traditionally associated with loyalty, faithfulness, purity, hope and confidence. It is believed to be imbued with beneficial properties relating to vision, both in terms of eyesight, and internal visualization, i.e. imagination and dreams.
Opal Birthstone Meaning & History
The origin of the word ‘opal’ is still shrouded in some mystery. While most agree that it can be traced to the Latin word opalus, first recorded in 250 BC, it is still a matter of debate where did that term comes from. Some believe that it has its roots in the Ancient Greek compound opallios roughly translated as ‘to see a change in color’, while others suggest the Sanskrit word upala, meaning ‘precious stone’, as a likelier source.
Owing to the fact that opals often display a captivating interplay of various colors, it has also been known as the Queen of Gems. It was believed to contain all the virtues associated with different monochromatic gems whose color was represented in a particular stone.
When it comes to the opal birthstone meaning and symbolism, the stone has been traditionally associated with loyalty, faithfulness, purity, hope and confidence. It is believed to be imbued with beneficial properties relating to vision, both in terms of eyesight, and internal visualization, i.e. imagination and dreams.
Before rich deposits of opal, the birthstone for October, were discovered in the 19th century in various locations in Australia, and before the opening of the trade routes with the other larger exporters, the stone was quite rare in Europe. While deposits have since been located in various countries, including the United States, Mexico and Ethiopia, European aristocracy was for a long while limited exclusively to opals found in one location in what is present-day Slovenia. This rarity made it a highly prized possession, and one claimed to have powerful magical properties.
Aside from the widespread belief that it was capable of bringing good fortune to its owner, some went so far as to claim that it could also bestow invisibility when properly used. That is not to say that this stone didn’t have its own share of bad reputation as well. Aside from the fact that the opal was associated with the evil eye in Russian superstition, its popularity also received a heavy blow from a very well-read novel by Sir Walter Scott, published in 1829. The novel featured an opal which cracks and becomes colorless when splashed with holy water, and ultimately causes the demise of its owner. The novel was so popular and its influence so great that it managed to put a significant dent into the sales of the stone for the next two decades after its publishing.
However, as superstitions waned and new deposits were discovered, revealing opal birthstones with color schemes that were never seen before, the popularity of the stone recovered, and in addition to being the October birthstone, it’s of the most admired and cherished gemstones we know.
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