Citrine — the birthstone of November — is a variety of quartz that’s yellow-orange and quite pale in its native state. Citrine is closely related to amethyst, another variety of quartz that’s purplish blue in hue. Indeed, to make citrine out of amethyst is not hard — you simply heat the stone. (Most traded citrine gems on the market today were actually mined as amethyst and then heated to change the coloration!)

You can tell the difference between heat treated amethyst and natural citrine by close inspection — pure citrine will look pale compared to the heat-treated variety, which looks darker and redder. Given that quartz is not a particularly hard mineral (only 7 on the Mohs scale) and it can discolor if left out in the sun, it’s important to take good care of your precious citrine.

November Birthstone - Citrine

Much of the world’s citrine is mined in Brazil, although the United States maintains its own mining operations in California, North Carolina and the Rocky Mountains. Citrine is far rarer than amethyst — the paler, the better as far as appraisal value is concerned. During the Art Deco period in the 20th century, citrine was used extensively in architecture and art.

From a mythological perspective, citrine has been used to solve seemingly every possible human health problem, from spleen and pancreas issues to heart disease to depression. It is said to ward off feelings of doom and to release stress. Others believe citrine confers on its owner qualities of generosity, thoughtfulness, and optimism.

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Pink tourmaline is the birthstone of the month of October. Due to the stone’s resemblance to the ruby, tourmaline has often been misclassified.

The mineralogy of tourmaline is actually quite interesting. It’s a silicate mineral that derives its color from boron and other trace minerals in its crystal matrix. Tourmaline can vary significantly in hardness and color, but what distinguishes it mineralogically is that it has so-call piezoelectric properties. That is, it can acquire an electric charge if rubbed. This fascinating property occurs as a result of the polarity of the mineral’s crystal structure.

October Birthstone - Pink Tourmaline

Thanks to its unique piezoelectric property, pink tourmaline has often wowed people who have discovered stones “in the wild.” Lacking an understanding of the science of mineral structure, ancients often believed tourmaline was magical.

According to lore, tourmaline could heal indigestion, improve unconscious awareness, manage fear, and help people recover from emotional trauma. Some homeopathic therapists use tourmaline crystals to try to get their patients to open up about relationship problems and encourage more flexible thinking about life’s problems.

Native Americans tribes, societies in Africa, and the Chinese have collected tourmaline for thousands of years. (The Chinese actually crafted vessels for tobacco out of the mineral.) That said, the “Western world” discovered pink tourmaline only around 300 years or so ago.

If you’re searching for a special gift for someone born in October, we at Celtic Wedding Rings invite you to look over our top-quality selection of rings and jewels.