Calling all bright blue and deep green lovers! This month we are celebrating all of the beautiful hues that come from the two official birthstones this month – opal and tourmaline. The fire found within opal gemstones are carefully constructed in one-of-a-kind masterpieces sometimes creatively paired with tourmalines to highlight the earthy undertones found in certain opals. As seen in the earrings below, we have combined black opal with chrome tourmaline, blue sapphires and diamonds to bring alive all of the colors seen in the opals.
The name “opal” comes from the Greek word opallios, which means “to see a change in color.” The Roman scholar Pliny used the word opalus when he wrote about this gemstone’s kaleidoscopic “play” of colors that could simulate shades of any stone.
An opal’s “play-of-color” was defined in the 1960s, when scientists discovered that the gemstone is composed of microscopic silica spheres that diffract light to display various colors of the rainbow. We believe that an opal statement ring or a beautiful pair of opal drop earrings is the gift that keeps on giving! No matter the angle or direction you may turn the fire from within these magical gemstones continue to beam.
Our second official birthstone gemstone of the month is tourmaline. The name tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese words tura mali, which means “stone of mixed colors.” As its name implies, tourmaline stands apart from other gemstones with its broad spectrum of colors in every shade of the rainbow.
Tourmaline is not one mineral, but an amazing complex group of minerals with different chemical compositions and physical properties. Certain trace elements produce distinct colors, and many resulting varieties have their own names such as the bright green chrome tourmaline or the greenish-blue tourmaline seen in the pendant above.
Opal and tourmalines are amongst our favorite gemstones to design around at Omi Privé due to the fact that no two are alike! While both exude mesmerizing green and blue hues, they are varied in their own unique one-of-a-kind way.
If you want to see more of what we have in stock in our opal and tourmaline collection, please email us at jewelry@omiprive.com