October is one of those months that’s unpredictable.
You may have warm, sunny swimsuit weather one day and a snow flurry the next.
October’s birthstone is a bit capricious as well.
The traditional birthstone is an Opal.
However, Tourmaline is another birthstone option. To make it even more confusing, the Tourmaline is available in both pink and green hues, so you have quite a rainbow of color choices.
If you’re of a superstitious nature, don’t wear an Opal if it’s not your birthstone. It’s reportedly bad luck, although most jewelers won’t ask to verify your birth date before selling you one.
Pink Tourmaline
The beautiful pink tourmaline ranges from a pale, rose petal pink to a deep pink that’s almost a fuchsia hue. This tone tends to the cool, blue end of the spectrum without any yellow undertone.
Alizarin Crimson
This old workhorse of the artist’s palette is a natural for the pink hue of a Tourmaline. It’s a color that has been used for centuries. It is a plant dye, and its recorded use goes back to 1500 BC. In its original formulation, Alizarin Crimson is considered a fugitive color.
Today, there are many fine permanent versions of this hue that are colorfast. This rich color holds a place in almost every artist’s tabouret and is indispensable for painting roses and many other flowers. It is transparent and is a popular choice for glazing.
Permanent Rose
Permanent Rose is a fine pink shade that is quite opaque. It has a high lightfast rating, although it has a low tinting strength. Because of its low tinting strength, it requires more pigment to create this hue and is more costly than some paints.
Green Tourmaline
This stone is a soft green that sometimes has a hint of yellow and at other times leans to a more blue-green. It is medium to light in color and can be almost clear with a faint green glow. Many green pigments can be used to create Tourmaline green, since there are so many variations in its color range.
Sap Green
This color was originally an organic dye and was considered a fugitive color. Today, Sap Green is a chemically produced color that has a high lightfast rating. It is a soft and warm green with a slight yellow undertone.
Chromium Oxide Green
This mid-tone green became available as an artist’s pigment in 1838. It is an opaque color and has an excellent lightfast rating. It is a mineral-based pigment, so it is also has a high permanence rating. It has a somewhat bluish tint.
Cobalt Green Light
Cobalt Green Light is an inorganic pigment that is a combination of cobalt and zinc oxides. It is a unique color that can’t be duplicated with any mixture of blues and yellows. It is translucent and has good lightfastness. It’s a color that an artist may not use often, but it is certainly well worth adding to your tabouret to add a subtle unique touch of color.
Opal
Opals come in such a wide range of colors that it’s almost impossible to go wrong in selecting colors to portray an Opal. They vary from white with a milky translucent look to a deep black color. The fire within each stone can vary through any color of the rainbow. The colors can be subtle and almost pastel to deep, bold colors that are vivid and shining. Fill your palette with every color of the rainbow and start painting tiny, colorful stars.
