OPAL

October's traditional birthstone is... the opal! Such mystery abounds in a swirl of luminescent pastels.  The eye demands more, as the opal beckons its unaware yet captivated observer to become lost in its soft cosmos of wonder.

At Blue Nile, surrounded by diamonds in 18K white gold

And here is our poem of the month, becoming all there is regarding the opal~

October Birth stone poem - the Opal 
"October's child is born for woe,
And life's vicissitudes must know,
But lay an opal on her breast,
And hope will lull those woes to rest."

-Anonymous

What does this poem mean?  Our take here is that the October born have a certain burden to carry, but if one adorns thyself with an opal, all will be well. Such is the gift of this precious gem.

Here is a Youtube 6 minute special on the opal, not to be missed!

What more can we learn of the mysterious opal?  It can be found in Mexico, Australia and the United States. The opal represents hope and purity and innocence, it can assist with efficacy of the eyes, and promotes visualization, imagination, dreams and healing.

The wondrous opal has been dubbed the "Queen of Gems," by William Shakespeare in his Twelfth Night. 

These precious gems are not in crystalline form as diamonds and emeralds, but are found in their natural state in the ground, so keep looking, you may find an opal beneath those autumn leaves or in the earth while gardening.  What a find that would be! Others are found in rock, those sparkles could be refracted light coming from the prodigious opal, beware while rock climbing, you could find a gem!

I was pleasantly surprised to discover opal details on eBay! Click here to learn more on the opal, the eight different types, how to distinguish, where to find!

And of course, you can find a fabulous Tiffany opal at the Smithsonian Institute~

Tiffany Black Opal Necklace

Happy birthday, October beauties!