November’s Birthstones: Topaz, Citrine
Topaz Color
Most popular specimens of topaz feature yellow to orange hues, but in reality, topaz can be found in a variety of colors, from colorless to pink to brownish orange, red, blue, and green.
Blue topaz is very popular and is typically the result of irradiation treatment. Yet another popular variant is mystic topaz, with its rainbow hues, created by applying a coating to a colorless stone.
Topaz Significance
Blue topaz symbolizes love, peace, and happiness. It is said to be a stone of good fortune and can be found in many different jewelry pieces.
Topaz was once considered a symbol of power and strength, used in the Middle Ages to ward off evil spirits.
Topaz History
The most famous topaz specimen was originally thought to be a diamond.
The “Braganza Diamond” weighs in at around 27.21 carats and is set into the Portuguese Crown jewels.
Topaz has been used in jewelry and other decorative settings for centuries.
Topaz Facts
The largest cut topaz is also the largest faceted gemstone in the world: the El-Dorado Topaz, weighing in at around 31,000 carats.
Topaz is found throughout Asia, including in Japan, India, China and with the beautiful blue topaz occurring in Sri Lanka.
Topaz is also found in the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Orange topaz is the state gemstone of Utah.
More About Topaz
November’s Rare Yet Plentiful Gemstone
Citrine is a type of quartz, and its pale yellow specimens are often mistaken for topaz, but one place where the two gems often differ is in price: you can generally find citrine at more affordable prices than natural topaz.
While citrine can be found at lower prices than topaz, that’s often because most citrine on the market today is mined as amethyst, which is then heat-treated, or smokey quartz.
Naturally forming citrine is fairly rare and, therefore, can get quite expensive.
Citrine Color
Citrine ranges in color from pale yellow to deep orange, and its color is caused by the presence of iron.
Citrine Significance
Citrine is said to represent luck, joy, happiness, and success.
This stone is believed to promote creativity and manifestation.
In ancient times, citrine was thought to help with digestive issues, gallstones, and even snake bites.
Citrine History
Records of citrine being used as a gemstone date back to the time of ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans.
Egyptians used citrine as a talisman, and Greeks carved images into citrine stones. Romans fashioned them into rings for priests to wear.
Citrine Facts
The name citrine comes from the French word for lemon, citron.
Amethyst and smokey quartz that are sold as citrine are found in abundance in Brazil and Uruguay.
Rare, naturally forming citrine has been found throughout the world, including in Russia and Madagascar.
More About Citrine
You Might Also Like
Alternate April Birthstones
Looking for an alternate April birthstone? Understandable. Diamonds can be challenging for multiple reasons. Perhaps you are trying to find a gift but don't want to splurge on April's traditional birthstone. Or perhaps you have issues with the diamond industry itself...
Pearl Farming: A Complete Guide
Finding naturally occurring pearls can be difficult and dangerous, so pearl farming has become the predominant method of producing pearls for jewelry and other applications.
5 Facts About Sapphires
August’s birthstone, sapphire, is among the most popular gemstones in the world, and for good reason! Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about sapphires.
