The opal is the glorious gemstone that has been given the honor as the October birthstone. For many the opal is the one gemstone that contains all the colors of the rainbow and may look like an artist palette joining all the colors together. Opals are unique in the way they are formed from a non-crystalline silica gel. This gel has been molded and hardened by nature’s own heating and molding processes resulting in closely compacted arrangement of spherical particles giving rise to regular pattern exhibiting a three-dimensional array of spaces, giving us the opal as we know it. The beauty of this gemstone is exquisite and is the more well known of the two October birthstones.
One of the color opals named specifically for its color is the fire opal. This gemstone is exudes a fiery warmth that cannot be denied. These orange-red stones come from the traces of iron oxide that is found in quartz and is what gives rise to these vivacious colors. Color ranges between yellow, yellow-orange, orange and red. Believe it or not, the fire opal has relatively high water content so caution needs to be taken when working with them. Too v heat and your opal might lose its water content leaving you with a dull looking or sometimes cracked fire opal. When wearing a fire opal one needs to be careful that it is also not exposed to too much light and heat or your opal will not be able to maintain its original brilliance. The opal will thrive when worn, provided that it does not come into contact with perfumes and cosmetics when worn. The opal it has the ability to glean moisture from your skin and the air so is also able to maintain its own water balance from you when worn as the October birthstone. Strangely enough the drier the place is that the fire opal is mined from, the more durable the gem becomes.
The Aztecs had an affinity for the opal around 1200 to 1519 AD and used it as part of their rituals and especially for their mosaic work. Mexico still has the most noteworthy supply of fire opals hidden in their many extinct volcanoes. The Aztecs and Mayans dubbed the fire opals as quetzalitzlipyollitli, or the “stone of the bird of paradise” as it is often referred as. A bird of paradise has magnificent coloring and the name “stone of the bird of paradise” is a very apt name for this famed October birthstone. The most sought after fire opals are those that exhibit the medium orange-red color with undertones of brown included and you can expect to pay around $115 for a 1-carat gem. Since these gems are a relatively common find, they are not priced as high as some of the rarer gemstones. There is nothing really to stop you from acquiring one of these magnificent October birthstones which might become a prized possession of your loved one when they experience its fiery glow..