"Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year—the same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again. Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Yellow Topaz-Traditional Birthstone for November

Yellow topaz is traditionally the birthstone for the month of November. Classically beautiful with its golden brown to yellow tones, the major source of yellow topaz in world commerce today is Brazil, and on a lesser scale it is also found in the USA, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, former USSR, Australia, Tasmania, Pakistan, Mexico, Japan and Africa.

Commonly heat treated, this gem is referred to as “precious topaz” to distinguish it from the popular blue topaz which is not often natural, and produced by irradiating and then heating clear crystals. The term “Imperial” is reserved for specimens of precious topaz that show an especially rich and intense orangey to reddish color, and "Champagne Topaz" is used when light to medium brown in tone. As a jewelry gem, precious topaz is brilliant and durable with a hardness of 8.

Facts & Legend, The Benefits of Yellow Topaz
Topaz is one of the twelve breastplate stones of the High Priest referred to in the Book of Exodus. The breastplate stones are considered sacred to twelve mighty angels who guard the gates to Paradise. During the Middle Ages topaz was thought to heal both physical and mental disorders and prevent death. The Greeks believed it had the power to increase strength and to make its wearer invisible while the Romans believed it had power to improve eyesight. The Egyptians wore it as an amulet to protect them.
Today, precious topaz is thought to attract a number of positive character and personality traits, help protect its wearer, and possesses healing properties as follows:

Encourages self realization and confidence.

Imparts strength to overcome unstable emotions.

Helps banish bad dreams.

Makes the wearer more charismatic and attractive to others.

Topaz attracts love.

Protects against envy, disease, negative magic and sudden or untimely death.

Combined with an equal amount of tiger eye, topaz will bring wealth and money.

Stimulates the appetite.

Aids in nervous exhaustion.

Activates life force and metabolism.

Citrine-Modern Birthstone for November

The modern version (accepted in 1912 by the American Jewelers Association) of the November birthstone is the sunny and affordable citrine. The availability of large, clean pieces make citrine a popular choice of custom cutters and carvers who can make dramatic and intricate cuts and create big, bold, and beautiful jewelry pieces with rich deep tones, described in fashion lingo as ‘butterscotch’, ‘whiskey’ and ‘cognac’. With the popularity today of Earth tones, citrine has found it’s niche.

Citrine is yellow quartz, and although the color does naturally occur, the majority of the richly colored pieces in today’s marketplace are produced by heating smoky quartz (produces light to medium yellows) and amethyst (produces stronger yellows and orange-red to orangey brown shades). The treatment is usually done right at the mine, and is stable, and fully accepted within the gem trade.

In the past, it was commonplace for citrine to be given misnomers such as, "Brazilian topaz", or "Madeira" topaz (usually reserved for particularly richly colored specimens therefore its comparison and acceptance as an alternative birthstone to the costly Imperial topaz). The higher gemological knowledge level of both jewelers and the public make this practice rare today. This gem is a fine jewelry stone, with no cleavage and a hardness of 7 and is stable in light and not overly sensitive to chemicals. Brazil is the leading producer of naturally mined citrine with pockets also found in Bolivia, several African countries, and parts of the Soviet Union.

Facts & Legend, the Benefits of Citrine
Called the “stone of the mind”, Ancient cultures believed that if citrine were placed on the forehead of an elder it would increase his psychic powers.

Today, citrine is considered a very lucky stone possessing money attracting energy. Known as the “Merchant’s Stone’, if citrine is placed in a cash drawer it is known to work like a magnet for sales. In addition, citrine is thought to bestow upon its wearer positive attributes, and is known for its considerable healing properties as follows:

Increases self-esteem.

Protects the wearer from negative energy and shields one from abuse by others.

Makes one more creative and opens the mind to new ideas.

Promotes clarity in the thought process.

Helps aid with digestion being beneficial to the endocrine and digestive system.

Has a cleansing and purifying effect which helps eliminate toxins that accumulate over time.

With the power to calm and soothe, citrine apparently helps with depression and imparts joy to the wearer.

If it is your birthday in November, no matter which one of these beautiful stones you choose as your birthstone, you will look and feel beautiful wearing either one—Happy Birthday! And if you are the new mother of a November baby— Congratulations!

Gemological Facts Courtesy of Artistic Colored Stones

Bibliography: Artistic Colored Stones