October – Tourmaline

It’s easy to understand why people so easily confuse tourmaline with other gems: Very few gems match tourmaline’s dazzling range of colours. From rich reds to pastel pinks and peach colors, intense emerald greens to vivid yellows and deep blues, the breadth of this gem’s colour range is unrivalled. Brazilian discoveries in the 1980s and 1990s heightened tourmaline’s appeal by bringing intense new hues to the marketplace.

Birthstones are not only fun and nostalgic, but throughout our lives they serve as a beautiful reminder of the month when we were born. The history behind birthstones is fascinating, with origins that date back to the Old Testament and Aaron’s breastplate, which featured 12 gemstones that represented the 12 tribes of Israel.

Over time, the 12 gems eventually became associated with the zodiac. Then, in 1912, the National Association of Jewelers established the modern list of birthstones we know today.