Topaz comes in colorless, light blue, yellow, orange, pink, violet, brown, and rarely, red. Topaz may come from the Sanskrit word tapas, which means “fire”, but others trace it back to the Greek topazos. The vast majority of blue topaz seen today is the permanent result of treating colorless topaz with irradiation and heating. The rainbow effect seen in “Mystic Topaz” is created by coating colorless topaz with a thin artificial film. Topaz is an 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness, so care is required to avoid chipping or cracking. To clean, use warm, soapy water. High heat or sudden temperature changes can cause internal breaks. Prolonged exposure to heat or sunlight might cause fading in some yellow-to-brown gems. Topaz may be affected slightly by some chemicals. Blue topaz is the gem of the fourth wedding anniversary, and Imperial topaz is the gem of the 23rd wedding anniversary.

Citrine is the transparent yellow to brownish orange variety of quartz. Citrine is believed to come from the French word citron for “lemon”. Today, most of the citrine results from the heat treatment of amethyst. It is one of the most affordable and desired yellow gemstones. Bolivia’s Anahí mine produces a unique combination of amethyst and citrine in the same crystal; when the two colors appear together in a gem, it is known as ametrine. It is 7 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness, so the citrine is usually durable enough for normal wear, but high heat could cause the stone to crack. Citrines are also given for the thirteenth wedding anniversary.