June 21 Birthstone: What Stone Is It?
Born on June 21? Your birthstones are June’s three: pearl, moonstone and alexandrite. A jeweler explains the solstice cusp and which stone to choose.
Richard Lewis
Why Does June Have 3 Birthstones?
June has three birthstones: pearl, moonstone and alexandrite. A jeweler explains why, where the list came from, and that all three are equally official.
June Birthstone: Pearl, Moonstone and Alexandrite
June has three birthstones: pearl, moonstone and alexandrite. How to tell them apart, what each suits, and which to choose.
October Birthstone: Opal and Tourmaline Explained
October has two birthstones, opal and tourmaline. What each one is, the tourmaline colors, how to tell them apart, and which to choose.
Opal Birthstone: October’s Stone of Color
Opal is October’s traditional birthstone. Why it makes a wonderful, one-of-a-kind birthday gift, how to choose one, and how to care for it.
What Does Opal Look Like? A Visual Guide to Opal Patterns
A visual guide to what opal looks like: body tone, the main play-of-color patterns, which colors are rare, and how the main types appear.
Rare Opal Varieties: Harlequin, Contra Luz and Other Prizes
The rare opals collectors chase: harlequin, contra luz, red-on-black, Yowah nuts and Virgin Valley, and what makes each so sought after.
Opalized Fossils: When Ancient Life Turns to Opal
Opalized fossils are shells and bones that slowly turned to opal. What they are, how they form, where they are found, and whether you can wear one.
Types of Opal: A Complete List of Opal Varieties
A complete, plain-English list of the types of opal, grouped by body tone, host rock and origin, with a word on doublets and which to choose.
How Are Opals Made? Opal Formation and Mining
How opals form over millions of years from silica and water, where they are found, and how they are mined at Coober Pedy and Lightning Ridge.
What Is Opal? A Jeweler’s Plain Guide
What is opal, in plain terms: what it’s made of, where the word comes from, the six forms a rough parcel turns up, and what counts as real opal.
White and Crystal Opal: A Jeweler’s Guide to the Lighter Opals
White and crystal opal explained: how the transparent crystal and milky white opals differ, where they come from, what they are worth, and who each suits.