October Birthstones! We all have our favorite time of year; and if yours is autumn, with its crispness and natural splendor, October has to be the month for you. It’s such a great month of changing leaves, of walks on rustic paths, hot cider, pumpkin spice, and of course, Halloween- cool! What is more fun than dressing up in a costume that will shock your friends?
It’s important to show off the birthstone of your birth month, and if you were born in this sensational month, you have 14 stones to choose from. We will go through them all now!
Birthstones for the calendar month of October are beryl, opal, jasper, coral, lapis lazuli, garnet and ruby
October birthstones for the zodiac signs of Libra (Balance, September 23–October 23) and Scorpius (Scorpion, October 24–November 21) are peridot, agate, tourmaline, sapphire, topaz, aquamarine, beryl, amethyst and opal.
Discover everything you need to know about each month's birthstone: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, November and December.
October Birthstones: Beryl
Image by Ohkuol via Etsy - pear cut golden beryl pendant
Beryl is both popular and exciting. It’s a category of mineral, one that you see in a variety of color combinations. Did you know, for example, that Emerald, a precious gem, is a form of beryl? Now, to be clear, a lighter green beryl is simply "green beryl," since it isn’t as crisp and lovely as emerald.
Aquamarine is another type of beryl. Other awesome examples of Beryl are pink morganite, the yellow Heliodor and Golden Beryl. Red beryl is quite rare, and fetches a good price.
The basic—or pure—form of beryl is clear and naturally transparent. Beryl has a nice hardness score of 7.5 – 8, but it’s also brittle, meaning one has to be careful using it in a ring.
Beryl has a very long history: Pliny the Elder, a Roman naval commander and writer, used it to cure spine and eye injuries, as well as heart problems. Today, on a more spiritual side, it can help one stay youthful and can help marital love.
Most Famous October Birthstone: Opal
Image by Paulwrightjewellery via Etsy - long blue opal pendant necklace
What makes the opal so treasured and wonderful is its flash of light—it’s right up there with the diamond in that regard. Also, it can flash colors all over the spectrum. Now, that last trait isn’t as true of the “Common Opal,” which doesn’t have that play of light. But the common opal is still a stunning gemstone. A super-smooth stone with mixed colors: pink, blue, light purple and a mossy green. It often has mineral inclusions that cause white markings to criss-cross the gem.
The fire opal is another variety, and these look quite a bit different from other opals. Fire opals can be a fiery red, plus varieties of orange.
Image by Wandajewelry2013 via Etsy - pear cut blue opal pendant
Opals are 5-6 in hardness, with a wide variety of lusters. Opals bring a full spectrum of light, and allow people to sort through their emotions. That is due to the opal’s high water content.
It’s a perfect birthstone for October, since it comes in a colorful variety to match what Mother Nature gives us during that time.
Tourmaline
Image by Jewelryindiafinds via Etsy - paraiba tourmaline pendant
Opals and tourmalines both feature a kaleidoscope of colors, but Tourmalines are more vibrant. The name “tourmaline” comes from the Sinhalese words "tura mali" (or from the word toramalli). Everybody knows the pink tourmaline, but tourmalines come in so many other colors like green, red or blue. In fact, many tourmaline stones are multi-colored. Technically, tourmalines are a whole group of minerals with similar properties.
Tourmalines usually rate 7-7.5 on the mohs scale, and that kind of toughness is refreshing to find in a stone that isn’t expensive.
Be careful: look out for fake tourmalines. If you spot, via microscope, a slice of tinted glass glued between stone, you have an imitation. You can have a jeweler safeguard against this.
Jasper
Image by Elsa Peretti via Tiffany - napkin ring with red jasper
The jasper is an opaque gemstone that you’ll find in hues like red, maroon, orange, yellow, green, and even a dazzling black. The October birthstone has a hardness score of 6.4-7, so it’ll last and doesn’t really have to be babied. One of the awesome traits of the jasper is its cool color patterns, such as striped, mottled, ringed.
There are different types of jaspers, including morrisonite, agate, jaspilite, Morgan Hill, leopard, Deschutes, Egyptian—and that’s to name just a few.
Image by Beadshub2 via Etsy - natural red jasper bracelet
Jaspers help keep us whole and make us feel tranquil. It’s a nurturing october birthstone that balances yin and yang.
Surprising October Birthstones: Coral
Image by Italiancoralpearl via Etsy - mediterranean red coral pendant
A lot of people might not automatically think that coral is a gemstone, but it is. Most coral gemstones are of the species Corallium rubrum, and are colored pink to red. In the trade, Corallium rubrum is also called noble coral and is considered the best type of coral for fashioning into jewelry.
Precious coral is usually warm pinkish to red, yet sometimes medium-red to rich ox-blood red; Noble coral exhibits a great uniform color, though sometimes with streaks or spots of white or pink.
It usually scores about 2-3 on the hardness scale, so it’s not a workhorse type of jewelry. However it is a symbol of wisdom, fulfillment and long life. Further, coral remedies insomnia, spasms in the intestines, and bladder stones.
Semi-precious Birthstones for October: Aquamarine
Image via Tiffany - aquamarine earrings
The aquamarine is a semi-precious gem and a member of the beryl family (which also includes the emerald). It’s easily identified by its blue-green hue. Aquamarine stones are famous for their high level of clarity and transparency. Its name actually comes from the Latin word for seawater.
The clear and lovely quality to aquamarine stones comes from small amounts of iron present. Sometimes the stone will have inclusions that are either transparent or silver. This gives a distinct quality to the stones, making them look more or less what one might describe as “turquoise.”
Image via Cartier - cartier high jewelry fauna and flora bracelet aquamarine
One benefit of this gentle, pretty stone is that it’s actually very sturdy, with a hardness score of 7.5-8.
Now, because of the color and the origin of the name, a lot of the lore about the aquamarine involves the life of the sea. The aquamarine represents the purity of clear waters, and the tranquility of the sea. The stone is soothing and cleansing, inspiring trust and faith.
Ancient October Birthstones: Peridot
Image by Anemonejewelry via Etsy - oval cut peridot necklace
This ancient gemstone is unique. It has an amazing ghostly glow, coming in a variety of greens. Peridot usually exhibits a clarity that makes that super-cute.
Not only does the peridot date back 4 million years, but traces of this awesome gem were found in the debris of a comet, which was carried back from an American space probe. That means buying a peridot stone gives you a chance to show off star dust around your neck!
Peridot has a Mohs hardness score of 6.5-7. However, it is sensitive to acid, meaning it can often crack.
The peridot helps folks regulate the stages of their lives. It chases off old patterns of thought and feelings that aren’t helpful. Pronounced pair-uh-doe, this gem is…a gem of a gem!
Sapphire
The sapphire is a precious stone, more specifically a type of corundum. In addition to blue sapphire, the corundum species of mineral also contains “fancy sapphires.” These stones come in a range of colors, such as green, violet, yellow, orange, pink, and a range of blue-purple shades. Sapphires can even be gray, black or brown.
The best sapphires—particularly when we’re talking about blue ones—have great saturation, which means how defined the color is. Some sapphires can show amazing clarity, which will make you the center of any room you walk into.
Royalty have historically worn this stone for harmony between groups or countries. Christians often thought of it as a stone of destiny.
Lapis Lazuli
Image via Boucheron - serpent bohème pendant earrings lapiz lazuli
This is an absolutely stunning stone that often comes in very rich blue tones, often with white and green planet-like markings. It’s galactic!
Lapis lazuli scores 5-5.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it mid-range in terms of hardness.
Because it’s soft enough to work with, it’s often used in mosaics or sculptures. Turn yourself into a work of art!
The lapis lazuli is very strongly associated with wisdom and courage.
October Birthstones: Topaz
Image via Tiffany - hexagon blue topaz ring
What? You don’t already have a topaz in your collection? Come on, now!
Some of the most famous topaz stones are the orange and red ones, particularly if the color has a lot of saturation. It can be heat treated for more bluish tones.
The topaz has a vitreous luster and an excellent Mohs score of 8.
The topaz is the gemstone for the Solar Plexus chakra and is the 23rd anniversary stone. And, yes, the birthstone for Libra and Scorpio.
Agate
Image via Boucheron - vendome bracelet agate yellow sapphires
The agate is not a modern birthstone, but it has a dreamy feel, with partially created bands of mineral deposits layered around the stone. A combo of igneous rock and silica deposits in groundwater, the otherworldly stripes are what identify the agate.
Agates were some of the earliest stones fashioned into jewelry, and today they are popularly made into cabochons and used in pendants, necklaces and rings.
The stone has therapeutic properties and it can give a person waves of confidence that are steady and lasting.
Garnet
Image via Boucheron - serpent boheme bracelet rhodolite garnet
Garnets often have pleochroism, meaning they show different colors in different light. They can also display asterism, which means light rays shooting off in a way that looks like a star.
Garnets are formed in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are commonly mined in India, Pakistan, Africa, the United States and Russia.
The stone usually clocks in at 7-7.5 on the Mohs scale.
Garnets cleanse the chakras and re-energize them.
October Birthstones: Ruby
Image via Bulgari - b zero1 necklace rubies
One of the most renowned gemstones, the ruby is known for its vivid red color; it’s a desired gem due to its hardness and luster. The fact that it’s very rare doesn’t hurt. Certain rubies will have an inclusion of rutile, which creates a starlike distribution of light.
Rubies have a hardness of 9, which is a trait of many of the most precious stones.
The ruby stands for passion, nobility and purity, which is kind of a strange combo, but here we are.
Amethyst
The amethyst is a strain of quartz that shows up as a transparent to dark purple. It’s used faceted and as polished cabochons. It usually comes from Zambia or Brazil, but also from other nations.
Like other precious stones, it has been valued for centuries. Historically, Ancient Greeks believed that wearing the stone prevented them from becoming drunk as well as conferred a sense of balance. It can be faceted and polished, making it into amazing jewelry.
Among October birthstones, the amethyst is related to balance and to temperance, keeping the wearer away from excess. Placing one in the navel can help a person from being inebriated. It’s also known as a couple’s stone, keeping relationships together.
As you can see, some of the gemstones for October (October birthstones) are very high-end jewels. What’s important to remember is that even if you weren’t born in October, or under the signs Libra or Scorpio, you should look into some of these inspired and inspiring gems.