Opal is the modern birthstone for October and the gemstone gift for the 18th anniversary. Opal has been associated with hope, faith, and confidence. Opal has been a popular gem for many centuries.
Structurally it consists of tiny spheres with water filling the gaps. These spheres in most Opals are irregular in size and inconsistent in concentration. Yet in Precious Opal, the variety used most often in jewellery, there are many organized pockets of the spheres. These pockets contain spheres of approximately equal size and have a regular concentration, or structure, of the spheres. This has the effect of diffracting light at various wavelengths, creating colours. Each pocket produces a different colour, with a different intensity depending on the angle from which a viewer sees it. The multicoloured flashes of light that Opal emits gives it a truly beautiful and valuable look, called a play of light.
The Opal derives its name from the Latin word "opalus," meaning precious jewel. It has been mined for centuries, at least since Roman times when they extracted the opal from areas now within the Czech Republic. The Aztecs made use of local Mexican sources as did the Spaniards when they exported the material back to Europe.
Today most precious opal comes from Australia with significant sources from Mexico and the Western United States.
An alternate birthstone for October is Pink Tourmaline.
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