A November birthday is a wonderful thing—in the Northern Hemisphere, you’re heading towards the winter holidays and hot chocolates by the fireplace. In the Southern Hemisphere, relaxed summer days are just around the corner. But best of all, a November birthday means that you get two stunning gemstones from which to choose: topaz and citrine. In this post, we’ll focus on topaz and ideas for creating spectacular topaz jewelry.
A Rainbow of Color
With advances in gemstone treatment technology, the two colors of topaz you’re probably familiar with in topaz jewelry are the light and intense Swiss blue topaz and the darker and richer London blue topaz. However, in nature, this popular gemstone is rarely blue and can actually be found in a rainbow of hues. The rarest and most highly-prized topaz is the rich orange “Imperial Topaz”, which is found in Minas Gerais in Brazil. The more common colors of topaz that are found around the world are amber gold, yellow, and orange-pink.
Introducing: Swiss Blue Topaz
At AZEERA, the topaz that we use in our custom topaz jewelry is the heat-treated and irradiated gemstone known as Swiss blue topaz. We have chosen this variety due to its widespread popularity and because of our ability to create a consistent color that pops against white gold, rose gold, and yellow gold. Whichever color of topaz you choose for your topaz birthstone jewelry, rest assured that its meaning, symbolism, and beauty remain unchanged.
Topaz Meaning and Symbolism
Many of our readers will know that the Sanskrit word azeera means “fire” and was chosen as the name for our company due to the natural fire that we seek to bring out in each and every gem. It just so happens that there is another word in Sanskrit that also means “fire,” and that is the word tapas—which was quite possibly the origin of the word for topaz.
Whatever the real origin of the word topaz was, the power attributed to this ancient gemstone has been present in a great variety of cultures:
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The Romans and Egyptians believed that topaz represented the sun god and held the power to protect and heal.
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The ancient Greeks wore topaz jewelry for strength.
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People in India placed topaz gemstones above the heart to ensure beauty, intelligence, and a long life.
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Europeans in the 1300s-1600s believed that topaz could banish anger and undo the power of magic spells.
In today’s world, topaz is thought to represent loyalty and love and is prized for its intensity of color and exquisite light properties. Whether you prefer to think of topaz as an amulet or simply like the way it looks, we are sure that our topaz birthstone jewelry will have you enchanted!
Topaz’s Gemological Properties
Formed in the cavities of igneous rocks like pegmatite and rhyolite, topaz is a type of silicate mineral that forms during the cooling phase of magma lava. It has a hardness that is only surpassed by that of diamond, corundum (ruby and sapphire), and chrysoberyl (cat’s eye and alexandrite).
Within its facets, topaz jewelry displays an orthorhombic structure, which means that the three internal axes are at right angles to each other for an effect that can look like a rhombic prism, pyramid, or double pyramid. When cut with skill and precision, the result is simply dazzling!
Common Topaz Treatments
While blue topaz does occasionally occur in nature, the blue topaz that you see in shops is typically colorless, yellow, or brown topaz that has been transformed through a series of simple treatments—resulting in topaz jewelry that is both beautiful and affordable.
| Treatment | Resulting Color |
|---|---|
| Irradiation | Pale pink topaz |
| Irradiation + heat | Swiss blue and London blue topaz |
| Coating with metallic oxide | Vivid pink topaz |
| Coating with metallic oxide + heat | “Mystic” or iridescent color-changing topaz |
Are Irradiated Gemstones Bad for Your Health?
Although the stones in our topaz jewelry were formed using radiation, you don’t have to worry about radiation poisoning if you purchase any of our Swiss blue topaz rings. As explained by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, gemstones that have been irradiated are stored in a secure place until their radioactivity has declined to a safe level. There have been no reports of a user being harmed by wearing topaz birthstone jewelry.
Design Ideas for Topaz Birthstone Jewelry
If you’ve decided to order topaz jewelry for yourself or for someone with a November birthday, congratulations—we’re sure you’ll absolutely love the result! Here are some of our top suggestions for a topaz ring to infuse your life with brilliance and beauty:
A Solitaire Ring in White Gold
For an engagement or everyday gemstone ring, a solitaire design featuring a round or princess-cut Swiss blue topaz is eye-catching and majestic when set in 14k or 18k white gold. As topaz is somewhat prone to chipping and breaking, 14k white gold offers superior protection for topaz jewelry due to its higher percentage of metal alloy.
A Decadent Halo in Rose Gold
If you’re getting engaged and fancy something a little more vintage, consider a round or cushion-cut Swiss blue topaz surrounded by a halo of diamond pavé. Topaz jewelry set in rose gold highlights the warmth of darker skin tones while yellow or white gold provides the perfect complement for those with lighter-colored skin.
A Modern Ring with Topaz Pavé
For a modern ring that’s designed to stand out, we really can’t go past Swiss blue topaz as one of our personal favorites. Providing a delicious contrast against both yellow and white gold, emerald- and marquise-cut topaz gemstones work well in a bezel setting with diamond accents and can also be set in a delicate pavé to highlight the more unusual shapes of our simple and statement bands.
Enhance Your Natural Brilliance with Topaz Birthstone Jewelry
Whether you were born in November, are celebrating your 4th wedding anniversary, or simply love the color blue, topaz jewelry is a wonderful way to add some extra sparkle to your life. All of the rings featured in the AZEERA collections can be customized to include Swiss blue topaz with your choice of metal and we can also make topaz rings and cufflinks to match your own unique design.
Schedule a callback from our founders or reach out to us via our live chat to begin!
