When nights are growing long and tempers short, when one seeks the consolations of philosophy (or memories of Florida) to store against the cold, November is the month of the topaz. This beautiful stone is at its best when honey-blond.
The topaz was a holy stone, signifying Saint Matthew. Two of the popes, Clement VI and Gregory II, possessed a topaz of great beauty, to which were attributed great healing powers. This stone gave the faithful a further impetus to make the pilgrimage to Rome from the far corners of the world so that their health might return to them with the blessing and the touch of this hallowed stone.
Even on less sacrosanct hands, the topaz was esteemed for its many therapeutic virtues. From earliest times, in accordance with the principles of sympathetic magic, the yellow color of the stone made it ideal for the cure of those afflicted with jaundice and other ailments of the liver. As the November stone, it was used in the Middle Ages to cure the contagions that begin to spread with the onset of cold weather. Its soothing color added it to the stones that were esteemed good for the eyes; the topaz was moistened with wine and laid upon aching eyelids. It also, many felt, cured diseases of the mind and helped the distraught to regain their mental balance.
The birthday wearer of the topaz is likely to be an upright soul, with good judgment fortified by wisdom. Faith and a deep spirit of charity are within its bestowal, gifts important in November’s shortening days and chilly blasts. It is clear that one of the most gracious of all stones is the topaz.
The nights are growing dark and long,
Bitter is the wind and strong,
With a wailful moan.
Let your mirth the time beguile,
Meet life with a cheery smile
And a topaz stone.