Birthstones

Turn the year to your month.

Twelve stones set in a ring, like the bezel of a watch. Turn it, and the light finds the month you choose.

Born in

Or choosing for someone? Pick their month.

October

Illustrations. Real pieces are listed under “In the vault”.

October: Opal

The stone for October

Opal

Silica that splits light into flashes of colour, moving as the stone turns.

Traditionally believed: Hope and creativity. Its “unlucky” reputation came from an 1829 novel, not from tradition.
The science: Silica with water trapped inside. Its colours come from light diffracting off stacked microscopic silica spheres.

October’s stones

Pendant, ring and earrings in sterling silver, set with tourmaline, October’s second stone, which wears better in a ring than opal.