October 1, 2023
What Does October Have to Offer?
By Eloise Graham
October offers its beautiful birthstones: the opal and pink tourmaline. The opal is the traditional stone for October. Opal, an iridescent stone, is in a class by itself. As a species, opal is so unique it has its own descriptive vocabulary, opalescent. More than any other gem, each opal is distinctly individual. Opals are also the most delicate gemstones commonly worn and require special care. Opal is a sedimentary stone. Under the proper conditions, water percolates through the earth, becoming rich in dissolved silicates. When water enters a cavity, it deposits the silicates as microscopic spheres, forming the unique opals.
Opal
Pink tourmaline is the modern October birthstone. It is loved for its breathtaking beauty and awe-inspiring variations of the color pink. Pink tourmaline is naturally occurring and contains a wide variety of elements. Most tourmalines in jewelry consist of a mineral called elbaite. Pink tourmaline forms in prism-like crystals with long hexagonal crystals that are beautiful to behold when subjected to light.
Tourmaline
October offers many “month” awareness and celebration titles: Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, National Apple Month, National Book Month, National Pizza Month and National Rollerskating Month – just to name a few.
There are special “days” that October offers: World Smile Day, World Egg Day, National Homemade Cookie Day, National Custodial Worker Day, National Frappe Day, National Angel Food Cake Day, National Gumbo Day, National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day and many more.
October is Fire Awareness Month, so make sure to check your smoke alarms, change your furnace filters and make sure your dryer lint trap is clean and free of lint residue.
Carving pumpkins is also a big activity in the month of October. Visit a Pumpkin Patch during the month.
