November birthstoneYellow topaz (or Citrine) - Captured sunlight to warm the heart The Egyptians believed that they were droplets of sunlight fallen to Earth and considered them sacred to the god, Ra. The Romans, too, believed the brilliant yellow gems were sacred to their sun god, Jupiter. Yellow topaz and citrine, November's birthstones, sparkle with the brilliant flare of captured sunlight. The two stones are so alike that they are often mistaken for each other, and citrines and yellow topaz share many of the same qualities. Famed for its ability to confer clarity of thought and sight to its wearer, yellow topaz is the natural stone associated with the birth sign Virgo, as well as with those born in the month of November - Scorpio and Sagittarius. Given its brightness by the sun, topaz was said to imbue its wearers with the ability to see through glamours and magical spells, revealing the truth. In that capacity, yellow topaz also was said to reveal poison by changing color in its presence, and alert the person who wore it to dangerous intentions from those around him. The ancient Greeks also believed that the topaz had the power to increase strength and endurance, making it a stone for the faithful and constant. Its association with the life-giving warmth of the sun also made the topaz popular as a healing stone. Among the ills that topaz was said to cure were asthma, insomnia, depressions and hemorrhages. Like the sun and fire for which the stone is named, topaz is said to alleviate worries and lighten hearts, brightening the day of any who see it. Topaz was one of the 12 stones set into the Breastplate of Aaron, representing the tribe of Simeon. It is known as the 'sunset stone', named for its glorious range of colors from pale yellow to lemon to the deep russet orange and pink of the sunset sky. With the magic healing and illuminating energies of the sun, the topaz is the perfect stone to light a spark to November's days. Like the topaz, citrine is found in all the shades of yellow from the palest cream to the deep, rich tones of orange and salmon. An expression of sunlight, citrine is said to energize those who wear it, brightening their lives with prosperity and creativity. Worn around the throat, the citrine brings the gift of clear vision, penetrating deception and bringing the truth to light. It stimulates clarity of thought, as well as inspiring generosity, strength and inner confidence. All earthly pleasures are said to come to those who wear the sunlight stone, for it brings the favor of the gods of the sun in nearly every ancient tradition. Despite their similarities, yellow topaz and citrine are two very different stones chemically. The topaz is aluminum silicate that gets its color from the inclusion of oxygen, fluorine, hydrogen, silicon or aluminum. It measures an 8 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it one of the harder gemstones, not far behind sapphires and rubies. Citrines, on the other hand, are quartz crystals whose color stems from iron impurities in the stone. With a Mohs hardness rating of only 6.5 to 7, the citrine is considerably softer than topaz. It also lacks the quality of cleavage - the ability for a stone to be split perfectly along one of its axes by a single blow. This makes it both more durable and more fragile than topaz. If the sparkle of sun brings a smile to your face, and the warmth of fire inspires creativity in your heart, then you may be a true child of topaz or citrine, despite your birth date. Yellow and orange stones bring happiness, brightness and warmth to a cold month. Why not wear them, no matter your birthstone? |
