What To Know About October's Birthstone + How To Care For It

Each month of the calendar year comes with its own designated birthstone (and birth month flower), and the stone for October is none other than the opal.

While the official birthstones we're familiar with today weren't selected until the early 1900s, the tradition of birthstones has been around for centuries.

In fact, they even appear in the book of Exodus (28:17-20), where it's written that 12 gemstones were fixed on the prophet Aaron's breastplate. "There were 12 stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the 12 tribes," the Bible reads.

Birthstones also have roots in Western astrology and Ayurveda, according to founder and educational director of the Love and Light School of Crystal Therapy Ashley Leavy. She previously explained to mbg the National Association of Jewelers actually standardized the official birthstones in 1912 because there were so many birthstone options across various traditions.

If you were born in October, the colorful opal is your birthstone. This stone is a type of silica and is technically classified as a mineraloid. Opal can be found all around the world, from Brazil to Mexico and in parts of the United States—but Australia actually produces over 90% of the world's opal.

Since opal comes in so many different varieties and colors, its meaning and symbolism can also vary. But according to Yulia Van Doren, opal is an invitation to dig deeper.

"This mysterious stone hides endless shimmering rainbows within its milky-white depths," helping us to remember to look beyond the surface, she previously explained to mbg. "Look deeper, look closer: at people, places, ideas, and within yourself."

In terms of how this stone relates to October, Van Doren also explains opal makes a great companion crystal for Libras and Scorpios born in October. "Opal helps balance Libra's natural inclination toward order and aesthetic beauty so that they don't get stuck in surface-level superficiality," she explains. And for Scorpios, she adds, opal's multifaceted energy complements their multilayered personality.

Whether you're wearing it as jewelry, have some in your purse, or keep a piece on your altar, opal in any color can help amplify any intention you're working with.