Have you spotted the obvious mistake? It's November and I'm writing about October birthstones. But these gorgeous little gemstones are too good to miss out on, see for yourself.
So as they say on all the best TV shows, here's something I prepared earlier.
As I write, the wind is howling around Orkney and people are struggling to hold onto their garden ornaments as the autumn equinox makes its arrival. Until the last couple of days though, the weather through September had been glorious and we’ve had some incredible sunsets and purple skies, rainbows and even spectacular Northern Lights. All of this is great inspiration for designs and colours, and the October birthstone, Tourmaline, is very fitting.
In ancient days the tourmaline was believed to have travelled up from the centre of the earth and passed a rainbow assuming all the colours. When you see them collectively you can understand why that belief originated, they really do look tempting enough to eat. (picture) Jelly bean anyone?
The name tourmaline is derived from Tura Mali meaning ‘stone mixed with colours’ and that’s exactly what this gemstone is as they come in a variety of colours. Mainly red, green and blue but can also be found in yellow and black.
Often, the two or more colours can change as the light changes. Uniquely there are no two tourmaline gemstones the same and their remarkable hue when slicing it through the middle makes it look just like a slice of watermelon.
The tourmaline is said to be the gemstone of love and friendship, rendering them long lasting, making it an ideal choice for your engagement ring or a special gift for a friend or the special someone in your life and if none of those fit the bill, it'll soon be Christmas. What’s not to love?