blue topaz
For some people in the northern hemisphere, November can seem very gray and gloomy ( I like damp, cool weather, but I’ve also got moss growing on my north side!). The solution? Bring some topaz and citrine into your life! Both of these November birthstones are linked with the sun and its warm, life-giving properties. Even blue topaz is thought to be a sky stone, where the sun resides. Either of these stones will lift your spirits on even the dreariest of days, guaranteed.
Topaz has been known and treasured for millennia. It is considered to be a solar stone and has been linked with sun gods Ra in Egypt and Apollo in Rome. In ancient Greece, the topaz was associated with Demeter, goddess of the harvest. The Hindus believed that topazes offered protection from fire and when worn above the heart granted long life, intelligence and beauty. It was also thought that a topaz worn on the finger protected against poison and untimely or accidental death because it lost its colour in the presence of danger! Who couldn’t benefit from that?
Imperial topaz and citrine bracelet
Topaz comes in many colours, including clear, golden or Imperial, brown, pink, purple and blue. Each of these corresponds to a different chakra. The most common colours are blue and golden. Blue can be used to stimulate either the throat or the brow chakras, helping us to communicate clearly and tap into our psychic abilities. It is also a stone of peace and calm and perfect for meditating with. Golden or Imperial topaz relates to the solar plexus chakra, helping us to manifest abundance in line with our highest purpose. It can be like a battery, physically and spiritually, boosting optimism, faith and joy. Combine these two to balance solar and lunar energies in a lovely piece of jewellery, and you’re pretty covered in any situation!
Topaz is an 8 on the Mohs scale, just behind corundum. However, it is important to take care when setting topaz, as a slight bump can cause it to crack length wise. Other than that it is a robust stone, suitable for all kinds of jewellery. Be aware that a lot of topaz has been heat-treated or irradiated to enhance the colour. It’s a good idea to keep topaz out of sunlight as this can fade some the irradiated and even natural stones. What to set it in is a matter of taste. Either silver or gold would work well with these lovely stones, with silver probably a better match for pale, cool tones and gold for warmer, more saturated hues.
The use of citrine goes back as far as 300 B.C. in ancient Greece, where it was worn in rings. It is also a crystal of the goddess Demeter as well as her daughter, Persephone, who is the goddess of spring. It is possible that many of the the references in ancient literature to topaz could actually have been citrine. However, there is an important difference between them- citrine is one of only two crystals that never needs cleansing after using it for healing purposes ( the other one being kyanite).
Citrine is a stone for the solar plexus, helping us to create abundance and wealth and also to keep it. It is also known as the”Merchant’s Stone” and is often kept in a cash register to attract money. Time to break out the citrine!
faceted citrine drop
Citrine is the yellow variety of quartz and also registers 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. A lot of citrine is actually heat treated amethyst, which can be usually distinguished by its deeper orangey or brownish yellow colour. There are naturally occuring darker citrines, but they are rare and expensive.I think that the paler, natural ones are very pretty and springlike set in silver, but if you prefer your citrine more intense, try setting darker ones in gold or even copper for something really striking!
So, no matter what the weather in November, you can always wear a little bit of topaz or citrine warmth!