NOVEMBER’S BIRTHSTONE

 Citrine, the birthstone for November is known as the “healing quartz”. The citrine quartz was actually once considered part of the topaz family and can be seen being referred to as the gold topaz, Madeira or Spanish topaz. This golden gemstone is said to support vitality and health while encouraging and guiding hope, energy and warmth within the wearer. Citrine can be found in a variety of shades ranging from pastel yellow to dark brownish orange. It is one of the most affordable of gemstones and plentiful in nature, citrine is found most frequently in Brazil, Bolivia, and Spain. The citrine has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale and is thus, to a large extent, insensitive to scratches. The yellow stones have just that mellow, warm tone that seems to have captured the last glow of a hot summer’s day, a perfect gem for this time of year.