Today’s post, “Carol’s Gems: Changing Colors,†is a monthly series on birthstones from one of my favorite blogger friends, Carol Peterson. Carol is a writer with a heart for encouragement, sharing parables of faith on her blog From Carol’s Quill and making learning exciting in Fun with Finance and other teacher resource books.
There are two birthstones for the month of October—tourmaline and opal. And they both remind me of Jesus.
Tourmaline
Watermelon Tourmaline
Tourmaline comes in a variety of colors. More interestingly, tourmaline often contains several colors in the same gemstone. The watermelon tourmaline is a great example. It is banded in green, white and pink. In gemstone symbolism, the three colors in watermelon tourmaline bring together compassion and spiritual love. Sounds like Jesus.
Wearing pink tourmaline supposedly brings out a person’s inner child. Since Jesus reminds us that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the little children (Matthew 19:14), maybe we should wear pink tourmaline every day.
Opal
White Opal
Opals are formed when silica gel seeps into the sedimentary strata and hardens. As a result of this process, opals contain a high amount of water—up to 10% of the total weight of the stone. Thus, opals are both a stone and water—just as Jesus is our cornerstone and is also the living water.
Tourmaline and Opal
What is unique about these stones is that they both frequently display several colors in the same stone. It’s as if each stone contains its own little rainbow—God’s promise to us and to Himself after the flood. That promise was fulfilled through Jesus who came to save us—not just from a flood—but so that we might live with him in heaven.
Happy birthday to everyone born in the month of October.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for creating so much beauty in this world—even in the very building materials that make up this world. Thank you that you have placed these reminders of your glory everywhere. Please open our eyes to see them and open our hearts to see you around us. Amen.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? Which of these two birthstones do you prefer?
Very interesting!
They are both beautiful, can’t pick a favorite. God’s so creative!
@ teavey – God is creative for sure!
Thanks so much, Chris for letting me hang out here today.
I love both of these, tourmaline and Opal, but in different ways. I like the display piece of tourmaline that you have provided an image of. It’s they kind that one might find on display in my home. Also, the opal jewelry is pretty, earrings or necklaces.
Very cool Carol, I love reading these every month!