Text: Joanna Sobel, founder of Brazi6 min read · Brazi Druse Jewelry editorial team
October's birthstones are opal and tourmaline. For an everyday gift, we recommend pink tourmaline because it is harder: it measures 7–7.5 on the Mohs scale, while opal measures 5–6.5. You can buy pink tourmaline from us starting with a ring for PLN 69 in sizes S, M, and L, through a bracelet for PLN 170, up to a necklace set for PLN 399.
- Two stones: October has opal and tourmaline. The American list gives both, while the British list gives only opal, so answers online vary.
- For everyday wear: tourmaline, because it is harder, while opal is best saved for special occasions.
- Gift: a ring, two bracelets, and a necklace set, from PLN 69 to PLN 399. The silver and gold-plated silver versions cost the same.
- Birthdays at the end of the month: the birthstone is based on the month, so it is still opal and tourmaline, although the zodiac sign is already Scorpio.
Which stones are for people born in October? Opal and tourmaline
The British National Association of Goldsmiths list gives October only opal, while the American list gives opal and tourmaline. The National Association of Jewelers adopted the American list in August 1912 in Kansas City, and in 1952 the industry council Jewelry Industry Council of America added the pink variety of tourmaline for October. GIA, the American gemological institute, now calls tourmaline the newer October birthstone.
You can find the stone for every other month on the birthstone-by-birth-date list.
Opal or tourmaline: tourmaline for everyday wear, opal for special occasions
Precious opal displays flashes of color because light diffracts through tiny silica spheres packed closely and evenly like little balls in a box. However, it is softer than tourmaline, and GIA warns that even natural opal can crack from intense heat or sudden temperature changes.
| Feature | Opal | Tourmaline |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness on the Mohs scale | 5–6,5 | 7–7,5 |
| What to watch out for | heat and sudden temperature changes; treated opals (doublets, triplets) do not like prolonged soaking | intense heat and sudden temperature changes; ultrasonic and steam cleaners, which GIA does not recommend |
| Cleaning according to GIA | warm soapy water | warm soapy water and a soft brush |
| Our advice | jewelry for special occasions | ring and bracelet for everyday wear |
Opal is hydrated silica and contains water: usually 3 to 10%, and according to GIA, even up to 20%. Harder stones, such as tourmaline, can scratch opal, so GIA advises storing opal jewelry separately. If both October birthstones are in your jewelry box, give opal its own pouch.
Beware of opalite: despite its similar name, it is glass.
Pink tourmaline has traditionally been regarded as a stone of the heart. You can read what it is and how to care for it in the article about pink tourmaline, while pink tourmaline pieces are gathered in one collection.
A gift with pink tourmaline: 4 ideas from 69 PLN
All four have small, faceted stones measuring approximately 3 mm, and each model costs the same in silver and gold-plated silver.
Ring for 69 PLN
The pink tourmaline ring is strung on jewelry elastic and comes in three sizes based on finger circumference: S (48–51 mm), M (52–55 mm), and L (56–59 mm). An approximate size is enough, and if you do not know it at all, see the ring size chart.
Subtle Glow Bracelet for 170 PLN
The Subtle Glow Bracelet is made entirely of pink tourmaline. It fastens to a length of 14 to 17 cm, and you can measure your wrist circumference using the bracelet sizing guide.
Rose quartz bracelet for 175 PLN
The Tourmaline and Rose Quartz Bracelet is the most frequently purchased pink tourmaline bracelet in our online store: since July 2023, we have sold 18 pieces. Tourmaline is interspersed with lighter rose quartz. The extender is one centimeter longer than in Subtle Glow, so this one fastens from 14 to 18 cm.
Set with necklace for 399 PLN
For a milestone birthday, we recommend the Subtle Elegance set: a bracelet and necklace made of the same pink tourmaline. The bracelet fastens like Subtle Glow, from 14 to 17 cm, while the necklace measures from 37 to 42 cm, so it sits high on the neck.
Pink Tourmaline Ring69 PLN
Tourmaline and Rose Quartz Bracelet175 PLN
Pink Tourmaline Bracelet and Necklace Set - Subtle Elegance399 PLN
Give a collector a specimen of Brazilian tourmaline
For someone who collects minerals, you can give a specimen for their shelf instead of jewelry. In multicolored tourmaline no. 241, a raspberry-colored column grows into violet rock, and the specimen stands on a steel base. We have one piece like this: if you'd like to see it in the boutique, call us and we'll check whether it is still waiting for you.
Birthday at the end of October: month or sign?
A birthstone is determined by the month, while a zodiac sign is determined by the day. Someone born on October 25 has October's birthstones, opal and tourmaline, and is already a Scorpio. In Poland, Scorpio begins on October 23, and it has been this way every year since 1988. If you'd rather choose a gift based on the zodiac sign, this guide to stones for the zodiac signs can help.
For a last-minute gift, visit the boutique or give a voucher
If the birthday is tomorrow, visit the boutique on Grzybowska Street. Call before you leave and tell us which model you are choosing: we'll check whether it is available in the required size and set it aside. If you don't know what to choose, there's always a gift voucher for our store.
Try it on in person
61 Grzybowska Street, unit 5, 00-844 Warsaw - Platinum Towers Shopping Arcade, ground floor, next to the Norblin Factory and Warsaw Breweries; Wola district.
Mon–Fri 11:00–19:00 · Sat. 10:00–18:00 · Sun. closed. Parking is paid, but the first hour is free with boutique purchases.
Call: +48 575 666 195 - we'll set aside the selected model.
Enter the code with your first purchase BRAZIBLOG10 - you'll get a 10% discount.
How we checked this. We took the prices, sizes, materials and dimensions from the product pages on brazi.pl as of October 11, 2026, and describe the appearance of specimen no. 241 based on the photos on its product page. We calculated the number of 18 Tourmaline and Rose Quartz bracelets sold since July 2023 and compared them with other pink tourmaline bracelets using online orders from 2018–2026, excluding boutique sales. We took the hardness, cleaning and storage recommendations, and temperature warning from GIA (the “October Birthstones” and “Opal” pages), the history of birthstone lists from the English Wikipedia (“Birthstone”), and the composition and water content of opal from the Polish Wikipedia (“Opal”) and GIA. We calculated the start of Scorpio in Polish time using NASA ephemerides (JPL Horizons) for 1940–2026.