2 November birthstones: Citrine, Topaz- Friendship, Hope
Camille is the jewelry and lifestyle editor of the Joué.…
Since the 16th century, people have chosen and used different gemstones for 12 months in a year, i.e. citrine and topaz as November birthstones, as a symbol of a certain month and believed that the properties and meanings of each gemstone has an impact for the people born during that month.
These selected gemstones representing each month is called the “birthstone”. Predecessors generally believed that birthstones have magical powers to protect them from evil and can bring good luck to people.
Today, with the progress of science, we no longer believe in the real functions of the “birth stone”, but still regard it as a tradition and a hobby, which is exactly in line with the needs of jewelers to sell products.
November birthstone: Citrine
Citrine is a popular gem in the market today, with bright colors, a crystal clear texture, and an affordable price. It has a unique warm tone that matches our skins.
Since the citrine is light in color and it is easy to see the flaws and impurities within; therefore when making a purchase we should take this into account. The dark orange citrine is considered the most valuable, because it is vivid and mellow, giving off a royal and noble feel.
Production of natural and artificial citrines
Natural citrines are not very common in nature. Among all mining sites, Brazil is famous for producing the top notch ones.
Now certain jewelers on the market make artificial citrines by heating and fading amethysts. In this case, these crystals are lighter in color and lose their intense luster. Although both gems are called quartz, the value of this type of citrines is generally not as high as the natural ones.
For citrines in a very light color, jewelers are also able to enhance the color by irradiating the gem, making it more beautiful. Citrines of this kind are relatively large in quantity and cheaper, and the color will never change at room temperature; therefore this method is generally accepted by the public.
Meanings of the citrine
Just as its vivid and bright color, citrine provides happiness by adjusting people’s emotions and calming them down. Citrine is also able to help the owners gain self-confidence and make better decisions, which are all sources of happiness.
Care and maintenance
First of all, the citrine is afraid of strong light, which means that we can not use this method during the purification. This is due to the fact that the strong light will cause certain damages to the surface, causing it to fade or lose the luster.
Citrine is also afraid of collisions. The average hardness of the crystal is about 7-8, which is only a little bit harder than glass, which means that it is still relatively fragile. Therefore, when we plan to do some outdoor sports, remember to remove citrine jewelry or find a way to protect it in order to prevent cracks.
Almost all gemstones are afraid of chemicals such as strong acid and alkali, and citrine is no exception. These chemicals can cause deterioration of the surface, such as tarnishing. So make sure to remove citrine jewelry when applying makeup or taking a bath.
November birthstone: Topaz
Topaz is a November birthstone and a gemstone for the sixteenth anniversary of marriage. It symbolizes friendship and happiness.
The topaz is hard, has a high degree of transparency, a good reflective effect and really beautiful colors; there it has been popular for a long time. For example, as early as in the seventeenth century, the Braganza diamond, i.e. 1640 carats on the Portuguese crown was once considered the largest diamond in the world, which later was proven to be a colorless topaz.
Production sites
The more important topaz mining site in the world is in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is best known for its yellow, pink and blue topaz. In addition, Sri Lanka, Ural, Pakistan, the United States, Mexico, Myanmar, Africa, Australia and Japan all have outputs.
Of course, no matter where the topaz is produced, it has its own value. Even if it is colorless and thus cheapest of all, it is a precious and beautiful gemstone.
Colors
The color is the most important criterion for evaluating such a November birthstone, preferably to be intense, pure and uniformed. It is mainly caused by the iron or chromium in the crystal and different colors have different values.
A typical topaz is yellow or burgundy, other colors including blue, white, gray and green and transparent.
Red Topaz: extremely rare and the most expensive topaz;
Sherry Topaz: the most important variety in topaz, named after the color of the sherry wine, i.e. a light yellow to dark brown wine of Spain. In this category, the most expensive is the orange-yellow topaz, called “the Imperial Topaz”. Other popular colors include light orange-yellow, golden-yellow, brownish yellow which is rare, soft and “velvet-like”, orange and orange-red.
Yellow Topaz: has a special status in the Topaz family, including pure yellow or with a little brown or orange, gorgeous in color and has been loved for a long time.
Pink topaz: higher value and price;
Blue Topaz: relatively rare and most common in topaz jewelry as inlay gems;
Light yellow topaz: close to the cheap yellow crystal in appearance and thus cheaper;
Colorless Topaz: the cheapest.
Meanings of topaz
The ancient Greeks believed that the powder of topaz can be used to make wine in order to treat asthma, insomnia, burns and bleeding. In addition, topaz can regulate the lymphatic function, improving problems related to the respiratory tract, trachea, and throat. Topaz also helps digestion, strengthens the stomach and intestines, and helps eliminate abdominal fat.
Currently we believe topaz can be worn as an amulet to eliminate sorrow and increase confidence; Wearing it as a pendant is said to help make us emotionally stable, and avoid nightmares.
Care and maintenance
Topaz has a Mohs hardness of 8, but its toughness is poor; therefore we need to take good care of Topaz jewelry to avoid cracking.
To clean topaz, do not use steam or ultrasonic cleaners. It is best to wash with warm soapy water.
High temperatures or sudden changes in temperature can break the topaz.
The color of topaz is generally relatively stable to light, but prolonged exposure to high temperatures or sunlight may cause discoloration, making the topaz appear yellow-brown.
Topaz may be slightly affected by certain chemicals too.
Electroplated topaz coatings resist normal wear and tear, but abrasive cleaners or polishing wheels can damage the coating; therefore, only mild soapy liquids should be used to clean topaz treated in this way.
In the end
Thank you for reading this article, I hope it helps you get the information needed. Feel to share your thoughts below or check other articles on birthstones that we have published.