Modern – Topaz
Traditional – Citrine
Cabochon – Opal (see article on October’s birthstone)
Zodiac
Oct 24 – Nov 21 – Aquamarine (see article on March’s birthstone)
Nov 22 – Dec 21 – Topaz
Topaz – pronounced (tō‘păz) is a gemstone that has been used for centuries in jewelry. The gem comes in a variety of colors. Clear, blue, yellow, yellowish orange, pinkish orange to golden brown. It is confused with the less valuable citrine, which sometimes is sold under the name topaz by unscrupulous jewelers. You should always check and make sure the stone you are looking at is Topaz and not Citrine. It is perfectly acceptable to substitute Citrine for Topaz if you wish, just don’t pay Topaz Prices 
Another misnomer is “Smokey Topaz” this is actually Smokey Quartz. By naming is Smokey Topaz, jewelers felt people would pay more. Smokey Quartz is a very popular stone and the better cuts are moderate in price.
The blue topaz that is often confused with aquamarine is rarely natural and is produced by irradiating and then heating clear crystals. Yellow Topaz is the traditional November Birthstone. Blue Topaz is sometimes used as the birthstone for the month of December.
A gift of Topaz is said to symbolize friendship and to strengthen one’s capacity to give and receive love.
The Egyptians said that topaz was colored with the golden glow of the mighty sun god Ra. This made topaz a very powerful amulet that protected the faithful against harm. The Romans associated topaz with Jupiter, who also is the god of the sun. Topaz sometimes has the amber gold of fine cognac or the blush of a peach and all the beautiful warm browns and oranges in-between. Some rare and exceptional topaz is pale pink to a sherry red.
Ancients said that you should wear Topaz if you wish to be clear-sighted: legend has it that it dispels all enchantment and helps to improve eyesight as well! The ancient Greeks believed that it had the power to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of emergency. Topaz was also said to change color in the presence of poisoned food or drink. Its mystical curative powers waxed and waned with the phases of the moon: it was said to cure insomnia, asthma, and hemorrhages.Brown, yellow, orange, sherry, red and pink topaz is found in Brazil and Sri Lanka. Pink topaz is found in Pakistan and Russia.Today we also have blue topaz, which has a pale to medium blue color created by irradiation. Pale topaz which is enhanced to become blue is found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and China. In early 1998, a new type of enhanced topaz made its appearance, the surface-enhanced topaz, with colors described as blue to greenish-blue or emerald green. These are called exotic names such as “Mystic Topaz”, “Caribbean Topaz” etc.Topaz is a very hard gemstone but it can be split with a single blow, a trait it shares with diamond. As a result it should be protected from hard knocks.
The name “topaz” is derived from the Greek topazos, “to seek ,” which was the name of an island in the Red Sea that was difficult to find and from which a yellow stone (now believed to be a yellowish olivine) was mined in ancient times. In the Middle Ages the name topaz was used to refer to any yellow gemstone, but now the name is only properly applied to the silicate described above.
Citrine - pronounced Ci·trine (sĭ-trēn‘, sĭt‘rēn’)
A pale yellow variety of crystalline quartz resembling topaz.
Transparent, coarse-grained variety of the silica mineral quartz. Citrine is a semiprecious gem that is valued for its yellow to brownish color and its resemblance to the rarer topaz. Natural citrine is rarer than amethyst or smoky quartz, both of which are often heated to change their natural color to that of citrine. Citrine is often marketed under various names that confuse it with topaz to inflate its price; it may be distinguished from topaz by its inferior hardness. It occurs mainly in Brazil, Uruguay, the Ural Mountains, Scotland, and North Carolina.
In ancient times, citrine was carried as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts.
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