November is yet another month that has two beautiful, precious birthstones- Topaz and Citrine. Topaz is available as colorless to yellow, orange, pink and very rarely red, while Citrine is available in charming yellow and orange hues. Both these November birthstones are known to have calming energies and believed to bring fortune and warmth to the one who wears it. Most of the topaz and citrine gemstones are comparatively affordable in price as they are not as rarely found as some of the other stones.
Let’s firstly talk about Topaz!
History of Topaz
The word “topaz” comes from a Sanskrit word tapas meaning fire. It is also believed to have emerged from the Greek word topazos. While for centuries, people in India believed that wearing topaz above the heart promotes long life, intelligence, and beauty, the Greeks believed that it gave strength to the wearer. More interestingly, between the 1300s and 1600s, Europeans believed that it dispelled anger and thwarted magic spells!
Minas Gerais in Brazil is one of the most crucial sources of topaz. For more than two centuries, high-quality topaz has been mined from this place. Pink topaz is especially found in Northwestern Pakistan. Other major sources of topaz around the world include Mexico, Namibia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and the United States.z
Characteristics of Topaz
Topaz holds a rank of 8 on Moh’s hardness scale but is still not a tough gemstone. Golden yellow to pink-orange topaz, also known as Precious Topaz or Imperial Topaz, is the rarest and most expensive colour of this November birthstone. However, shades of blue like Swiss blue and London blue are the most popular colors of topaz, which is extremely rare to be found in nature. Most of the blue topaz found in the market are chiefly irradiated.
Cleaning and Caring of Topaz
As topaz is not a tough gemstone, proper caring and cleaning is required to avoid its cracking and chipping. Do not use steam cleaning or ultrasonic cleaning methods. Use only warm soapy water, as it works best for this November birthstone. Extreme heat and sudden temperature changes can also break topaz internally.
Let us now look at the characteristics and features of Citrine!
History of Citrine
The word “Citrine” is believed to be derived from the French word citron meaning lemon. For centuries, citrine has been believed to soothe tempers of the wearer. Citrine was a major gemstone in traditional Roman and Greek jewellery. It was particularly popular to be worn in colourful Scottish jewellery during the Victorian era. Since ancient times, citrine has had a history of mistaken identities with the other November birthstone topaz.
The top sources of citrine in the world are Mexico, Spain, Bolivia, Madagascar, and Uruguay. Most of the amethyst that is heated to make citrine is mined from Brazil.
Characteristics of Citrine
Citrine has a rank of 7 on Moh’s scale of hardness. It is a less durable than other quartz varieties due to its oily nature. Citrine is a transparent yellow to brownish orange variety of quartz. This November birthstone is one of the most desired and affordable yellow gemstones. Most of the citrine stones available in the market today, are made from heat treatment of amethyst.
Cleaning and Caring of Citrine
Warm, soapy water is the best and safest way to clean citrine. It is also safe to clean this November birthstone in an ultrasonic machine, but steam cleaning is risky as the gemstone would tend to crack in its high heat.
Stay tuned for more information on birthstones and their interesting trivia!
