Choose a golden hue
for November's stone
by Bethany Waldrop Keiper

"Who first comes to this world below, In dreary November's fog and snow, Should prize the topaz amber hue, Emblem of friends and lovers true." -- Gregorian Birthstone Poems

In November, a month known for falling rains, leaves and temperatures, the golden glow of the sun is often missed. So the warm, rich glow of this month's birthstone is a welcome sight; a small, delicate fire held forever in precious metal. But which stone provides the glow you seek for November?

Several birthstones have alternates -- the modern stone vs. the traditional stone, or different stones for the same month based on location, or ancient calendars or beliefs. But for November's birthstone, two gems are listed, and both are in the same color family, with the same glow -- citrine and yellow topaz. The two are often confused for one another. So perhaps a closer look at both is in order.

 Citrine gets its name from the old French word for lemon, "citrin."  It is one of the more rare varieties of quartz, and is thought of as a sister to amethyst. Its hues range from the lightest yellow to warm orange to the darkest amber.  The dark amber stones are named Madeira because their deep color so closely matches the wine.

A strong 7 on the Mohs scale, citrine sometimes forms its crystals with other varieties of quartz, such as amethyst or smokey quartz. The exotic resulting bi-colored quartz is called ametrine, and is thought to be the product of long-ago heat from molten rocks. Just as the warm color of this stone can give you a warm feeling, heat can cause this stone to change -- it can intensify the color. Many of the stones are heat-treated to get a better color.  Direct sunlight can also change their color.

Today, natural, good quality citrine is mined in Brazil,
but other sources include Bolivia and Madagascar.
 

Citrine is sometimes called "Bohemian Topaz", "Madeira Topaz" and "Occidental topaz."

As a gemstone, citrine is not mentioned much before the first century B.C., but this is attributed to its scarcity. Romans wore this shining quartz, and it became very popular during the Romantic period, when its golden coloring was a favorite for artists.

Citrine was believed to protect against poisonous snake bites and evil thoughts. In contrast, yellow topaz was believed to make the wearer strong and invisible in times of emergency, so snake bites and mean thoughts probably weren't considered problematic.

Egyptians believed that yellow topaz's golden color was the glow cast by the sun god Ra. The word topaz comes from the Sanskrit word "tapas," for fire. The Romans connected this gem with Jupiter, who was their god of
the sun.

Although the word topaz is often thought of as the name for a golden brown color, the mineral topaz is found colorless, blue, yellow, orange-red, brown and pink. Yellow topaz can be found in tones from a light peach to a rich gold to the deepest cognac. The stone has been
used for centuries in jewelry. While yellow topaz also imparts a warm glow, its reaction to heat is not to become a more intense gold, but rather a pink color. Natural pink topaz is rare.

Topaz is tough -- it is one of the hardest minerals in nature, and the hardest silicate mineral, period. It is an 8 on the Mohs scale, but because of its structure it can be split with a single, perfectly placed blow. The lustrous topaz crystals can be huge, with some specimens
reaching several hundred pounds.

Yellow topaz is also mined in Brazil, and is found in Russia, Mexico, Pakistan and the United States.

Both yellow topaz and citrine are related to the third, or solar plexus chakra, the center of thought, intelligence, hope, and self-confidence. It is believed that wearing yellow can help boost feelings of confidence, clarity, optimism, wisdom and self-esteem. Long-believed to
be the color of the element air, it is no surprise that yellow is symbolic of the sun, and also of grain and the power of thought.

So which stone will you choose? Citrine, which is listed as the modern and traditional November birthstone, or yellow topaz, which is listed as the modern, Ayurvedic, Arabic, Hebrew and Roman November birthstone? The choice is up to you.


Resources:

About Birthstones
http://www.about-birthstones.com/novemberbirthstone.html

Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
http://www.galleries.com/

Gemsbrokers
http://www.gemsbrokers.org/

Golden yellow firepolished facetted beads available from the Bead Peddler.
http://www.beadpeddler.com/

Topaz Jewelry
http://www.jewelrymall.com/

Yellow Gemstones
http://www.bernardine.com/gemstones/yellow.htm
 

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