Monday, November 2, 2009

November Birthstones - Citine, Topaz & Pearl


November Birthstones - Citrine, Topaz & Pearl

The traditional birthstone for November is Topaz. Pure topaz is colorless and transparent but is usually tinted by impurities; typical topaz is wine, yellow, pale gray or reddish-orange, blue brown. Orange topaz, also known as precious topaz, is the traditional November birthstone, the symbol of friendship, and the state gemstone for the US State of Utah.

The modern birthstone for November is Citrine. Citrine is a variety of quartz whose color ranges from a pale yellow to brown. Brazil is the leading producer of citrine, with much of its production coming from the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

The mystical birthstone for November is the Pearl. A pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes of pearls (baroque pearls) occur. Pearls come in eight basic shapes: round, semi-round, button, drop, pear, oval, baroque, and circled. Perfectly round pearls are the rarest and most valuable shape.

See more gemstone beads here.

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