TOPAZ the November birthstone
Topaz is one of the two birthstones associated with the month of November. The earliest references to the topaz stone have been found in the Bible, as well as in early Greek literature. Egyptians and Romans of that period associated the topaz with the sun. The name has been derived from Topazios, which was the ancient Greek name for St. John’s Island. In the modern world, the topaz was first mined in Russia. The royals of Russia, the Tsars, adopted it widely in their clothes and jewelry. After large deposits of topaz gemstones were found in Brazil, this stone became more commonly worn by ordinary citizens as well. Even today, Brazil is the largest producer of topaz. The other countries where topaz is mined in are Russia, Australia, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. There are at least two states in the United States of America – Texas and Utah – which have adopted this November birthstone as the state gemstone. The most commonly purchased color of the topaz is yellow, although they ...