Go November…it’s your birthday…
By La Petite AcadienneLet’s talk about birthstones.
I’m guessing that an alarming number of you just had flashbacks to the multi-birthstone jewelry that your mom bought for you at Sears when you were 12.
I had a daughter’s pride ring. I’d begged for it for the better part of a year, and when I received it, I was absolutely thrilled. Six months later, I went on a trip with my parents, and in a rare show of pre-teen responsibility, decided to leave my ring at home so that I wouldn’t risk losing it.
While we were away, my older sister had friends over.
When we got back from our trip, my ring was nowhere to be seen. I hunted high and low, to no avail.
Now I’m not saying that one of my sister’s friends stole my beloved, cherished daughter’ s pride ring. And I’m not saying that I took umbrage at being accused of just misplacing it, when I KNOW I had done no such thing. And I’m ALSO not saying that I’m still bitter about it, twenty-three years later.
Okay. Maybe I’m a little bitter.
My tale illustrates the point that birthstones often have a certain emotional resonance with us. Sometimes we love our birthstone, sometimes we hate it. However it is always something to which we have a connection.
November’s birthstones are topaz and citrine. Specifically, yellow topaz and citrine. Blue topaz is definitely more common, and much easier to find, but it doesn’t technically qualify as November’s birthstone. According to my very scientific research (in other words, Wikipedia), topaz is “a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine with the chemical formula Al2SiO4(F,OH)2.” It is most commonly found in Brazil, and believe it or not, during medieval days, “it was thought to heal physical and mental disorders as well as prevent death.” Citrine is a variety of quartz — natural citrines are rare; most commercial citrines are heat-treated amethysts or smoky quartzes. It is nearly impossible to tell cut citrine from yellow topaz visibly, but they do differ in hardness.
Good to know.
Would this jewelry prevent death and heal disorders? Probably not, but at least you’d look very pretty in the meantime, no?
These earrings are a rather neat combination of hoop earring and drop-style earring, I think.
I love the autumnal tones in this bracelet.
It’s a turtle ring. Why the heck not, right?
Happy birthday to our November readers!!!
Bisous,
La Petite Acadienne
November 9th, 2010 at 10:54 am
Those earrings are lovely! Now if only I had a long, swan-like neck…..
November 9th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
I have only just found you today. You have got yourself another devoted reader.
The bracelet is my favorite, though I cast covetous eyes on the ring as well…
November 9th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Oh, my, those earrings… And the color of that bracelet… These make me one very happy Sagittarius! Thanks!
November 9th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Do you happen to know the history of how birthstones got assigned? Is it some astrology thing, or tied to some ancient Greek superstition? Or is it a marketing thing that Tiffany’s came up with during a low sales year? I’m curious, and either way, I’m sure the story is interesting!
November 9th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
I’m a September baby, so my birthstone is the sapphire, and I love it. We have a family tradition that a girl gets a piece of good jewelry with her birthstone on her 16th birthday, and I still wear my little sapphire ring. (Wore it as my “something blue” at my wedding, too.)
November 9th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
I’m a January baby and I love my garnets. I would estimate that more than half my jewelry features garnet, including my engagement ring.
November 9th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
I’m a July baby, and I adore my rubies. But my other weakness is amber, and I often see shades of it mixed with shades of citrine and topaz. Lovely!
Oh, and I’ll cut a body for those earrings. Just sayin’.
November 9th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
@Jane2: I don’t exctly have Audrey Hepburn’s neck either (and the maternal side’s double chin doesn’t help), but if I wear long earrings with a more open neckline it makes my neck look longer and I can pull it off.
November 9th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
I NEED those earrings.
Semiprecious stones are my favorites; so many fun colours and they still count as Good Jewelry!
November 9th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
@wildflower: From what I’ve been able to find, it has roots in early Indian and Babylonian culture, and was then carried over into Judeo-Christian culture.
Evidently, Aaron, a high priest during the time of Moses, wore a breast plate with twelve jewels. The number twelve developed a spiritual meaning, what with the twelve months of the year, the twelve tribes of Israel, etc. Each month had its own jewel, and people would wear that month’s jewel to correspond with that month’s astrological sign. Eventually, they wanted to be more personal, and would wear the stone that corresponded with the month of their birth.
(Cue “The More You Know” TV banner…)
November 9th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
And Jane, darling, I think Whitney has it right. With a lowered neckline, these earrings would likely visually elongate the neck somewhat.
The way I see it is this: if you like them, and they make you happy, then screw the rules. Besides, when you’re wearing something pretty, you hold your head higher anyway, which definitely makes the neck look longer.
November 10th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Are you going to do one of these every month? If so, I can’t wait ’til March! I love my birthstone and I’m always looking for more beautiful ways to wear it.
November 10th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
That’s the plan, ChristianeF! 🙂
November 11th, 2010 at 1:34 am
If I couldn’t have my September birthstone of sapphire, I would probably want November’s delicious amber tones. Those earrings, for example, would be simply divine on me, oh yes they would. (covets the Precioussssss)
November 14th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
I am a november baby and I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate the yellow citrines and topazes. Yellow is just not my color. So I wear smoky quartz instead. And a lot of sapphires, because they’re my husband and daughter’s birthstones and have a connotation of loyalty and are a pretty pretty blue.
November 14th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
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