The November Birthstone - Citrine
Citrine is one of the two November birthstones, with both Topaz and Citrine sharing a similar colour palette these two stones were commonly confused. The Citrine gemstone is part of the Quartz family and has been used in jewellery making throughout the ages. Citrine lost prominence with the rise in popularity of Diamonds and Sapphires in the 19th century but soon came back into favour with Queen Victoria and her love of colourful stones. The name Citrine is believed to come from the French word Citron, which means lemon.
Citrine is thought to have trapped sunlight within itself which is probably why it is also known as the "light maker" and is also referred to as the "success stone". This gem is commonly confused with Topaz. Citrine is a stone that is believed to attract wealth, success and prosperity. It is said that citrine is able to turn negative energy into positive energy. This gemstone has many names and another is the "merchant's stone", this is due to its ability to attract and maintain wealth; some merchants were known to keep the stone near their cashbox in order to attract more sales.
This stone comes in the perfect array of colours for the autumn baby, from reddish browns to bright yellows this stone can be all the colours of the leaves on the trees at this time of year. This stone is also commonly referred to as the "success stone" because of its ability to attract financial wealth and success in the workplace. It is a stone that is mined in Brazil and can be found mostly in the same places as amethyst. Sometimes citrine is even found attached to amethyst which produces a beautiful gemstone called ametrine, this stone would have both purple and yellow hues and depending on how the stone is cut can be a true curiosity to behold.
Alternative Birthstone: Topaz
Topaz is also the November birthstone and is known for its yellow tones however it is a stone that comes in a variety of colours with Imperial Topaz being the rarest of the variety. It is mined in many places around the world such as Brazil, Sri Lanka and Russia. At one point in history, only the Russian Royal family was permitted to own Imperial Topaz, which is how it received its name as it was named to honour the Russian Tzar. Topaz is allochromatic which means that it owes its variable colours to trace elements or defects rather than elements of its basic chemical structure. Red and pink are two of the more valuable Topaz colours and they are known to be found in Brazil. Reds, pinks and purple tones are caused by the presence of chromium.
The ancient Greeks believed that this stone had the ability to grant the wearer strength, today it is still thought that this stone is able to grant physical strength. In India, it is thought that wearing a piece of Topaz above your heart provides the wearer with long life, beauty and love. Topaz has also been linked to the Greek God Apollo, who was the god of the Sun whereas, in Ancient Egypt, this stone was closely linked to the Sun God Ra. The vibrant yellows and oranges that are displayed in this stone could be one of the reasons that it is so closely linked with two sun Gods in history.
With all the colours that are available in Topaz, the yellow colour would be typically associated with November, with blue more commonly being associated with December. We would like to recommend following whichever colour appeals to you more. Throughout history, this stone has been associated with opulence and abundance. It has even been said that when Topaz is worn on the finger, it has the ability to protect the wearer from poison.
As with each birthstone, we recommend that you choose your jewellery based on your preference and not on the month in which you are born, however, some people say wearing their birthstone has beneficial effects on them. To browse more wonderful gemstones please click the link below.