November’s Birthstone is Topaz or Citrine - Stones of Fire, Ice and Success

Topaz stones are as colorful as the people born during the month of November who wear them. From Sanskit meaning fire, the brilliant topaz is said to also possess supernatural powers to calm and cool everything from boiling water to white hot anger. And if you know many people who can claim topaz as their birthstone, you probably know firsthand about that anger!

14k gold Chiseled ring with Imperial Topaz by Danielle Miller Jewelry

While topaz is the hardest of all silicate minerals and fairly easy to mine, they can be costly depending on their size and coloring, with red being the rarest. The largest topaz weighing in at almost 600 pounds was mined in Brazil and is now on display at the New York American Museum of Natural History. While Brazil is the largest supplier of topaz, the gem can also be found in Pakistan, Japan and Scotland and here in America in Colorado and California.

Blue and light golden are the two most recognized colors, but topaz is also available in red, pink, orange and even black which is really interesting since pure topaz is a colorless stone. Coloring occurs when the stones experience element substitutions, chemical bonding and heat through tiny cracks and defects.

For those wanting the beauty of imperial topaz without the cost consider citrine instead. A yellow variety of quartz, citrine can be a pale lemon to deep orange-gold and is likely named from the French word for lemon "citron" or the Latin word "citrus."

Citrine Charm necklace by Danielle Miller Jewelry

Citrine has many positive attributes such as its healing properties on the digestive system, degenerative diseases and depression. It is also said to bring success, prosperity and generosity, which  is why its nicknamed the "Success Stone" and the "Merchant's Stone."

Citrine gained popularity during the Art Deco period and became quite popular with many of the Hollywood stars of the day like Greta Garbo. In the late 1980’s the world’s largest citrine was mined in Brazil. Coming in at over 20,000 carats it has exceptional color and clarity and is presently part of the Programa Royal Collections of Spain.

Topaz and citrine both bring so many unique properties to the table with their clarity, fire, durability and plethora of shades. Consider having a brooch, bracelet, ring or necklace designed for yourself or that someone special since the holidays are right around the corner.