Golden girls of November are truly fortunate to have two fabulous gems to choose from for their traditional birthday gemstone… Citrine or Topaz, two distinctly different minerals that are often confused with each other. Yes, they both do come in rich golden yellow, but they each have their own unique features and histories.

Citrine

Citrine is a variety of quartz, which forms in a spectrum of golden hues from light straw to lemon yellow to gold to orange to a rich Madeira wine red (called Madeira citrine). It comes as no surprise that the name citrine is derived from the French word for lemon, “citron”.

Citrine has been known to man for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks and Romans used it for jewelry such as intaglios. Very popular in the Middle Ages, citrine was said to have medicinal qualities. It was used to protect against snake venom, speed healing, aid heart disorders and the digestive system. Citrine’s mystical qualities were said to stimulate intellect and creativity. It was thought to give mental balance to its wearer and boost self-confidence. Today citrine is cut in all sizes and shapes and because of the abundance of this mineral, it is very affordable for everyone. Wear this luscious gem set in yellow gold and every birthday will be your golden age!

Topaz

The gem topaz is a fluorosilicate mineral. The name topaz comes from the Sanskrit word “tapas” which means fire. The Greek work “topazo” means “to shine”. This warm golden tone gem truly does have a fiery shine.

The Egyptians believed the gem was imbued with the glow of the mighty sun god Ra, while the Romans connected topaz with Jupiter, god of the sun. Trace elements in the mineral can cause it to form in different colors. During the 19th century, beautiful shades of pink topaz were discovered in Russia. So coveted was this spectacular pink gem, that the Czar decreed that only his family and those who received it as a royal gift could own pink topaz. This color became know as “Imperial Topaz”.

Topaz is the gemstone thought to hold the widest range of curative powers. Among those is the ability to dispel enchantment, improve eyesight, increase strength, heal mental disorders, cure insomnia and asthma and even prevent death. Topaz’s qualities that would certainly boost your social life are promoting friendship, ensuring fidelity, increasing patience and developing a pleasant disposition. Topaz is said to change color in the presence of poisoned food or drink … maybe it could tell you if that guy is good for you or not!

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Tags: , Citrine, f quartz, fluorosilicate mineral, gem, gemstone, intaglios, jewelry, minerals, pink gem, pink topaz, Topaz, “Imperial Topaz”

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 27th, 2008 at 8:49 pm and is filed under Birthstones. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.