November Birthstone: Citrine and Topaz

What is the November birthstone

The November birthstone on the modern US list is topaz or citrine, and either one counts. Topaz is the older choice, on the list since jewelers standardized it in 1912, and citrine was added later as a second option. GIA's November birthstone page covers both as gems.

November birthstone color

The November birthstone color is golden yellow to orange, a warm range that citrine and topaz share. In topaz, that range includes the pinkish orange imperial topaz of Ouro Preto, Brazil. Most topaz grows colorless, pale blue, brown or sherry, though, and the bright blue topaz in jewelry cases is almost always colorless topaz treated with radiation and heat. Citrine runs from pale lemon to honey, and deep orange to reddish brown usually means heated amethyst.

Citrine, the quartz November birthstone

Citrine is the quartz November birthstone: silicon dioxide, 7 on the Mohs scale, with a yellow color usually credited to traces of iron. Natural citrine is rare and often pale. Most citrine sold is amethyst heated until it turns yellow, orange or reddish brown; that is still real quartz, but it should be labeled heated. Our citrine guide covers the mineral in full.

Topaz, the harder November birthstone

Topaz is the harder November birthstone, an aluminum silicate with fluorine, Al₂SiO₄(F,OH)₂, that rates 8 on the Mohs scale. It grows as long, often striated prisms in pegmatites and in cavities in volcanic rhyolite, and it has one perfect cleavage, so a sharp knock can split a crystal clean across. Good sources include Brazil, Pakistan, the Ural Mountains of Russia, Utah and the Pikes Peak pegmatites of Colorado. Some sherry-brown topaz, like the crystals from Utah's Topaz Mountain, fades in sunlight.

Citrine vs topaz

Citrine vs topaz is easy to settle with a few checks:

Hardness: topaz (8) scratches quartz, and citrine (7) cannot scratch topaz.
Weight: topaz is about a third heavier than quartz of the same size (specific gravity about 3.5 against 2.65), so it feels dense in the hand.
Breakage: topaz splits along one flat cleavage plane, while citrine breaks with a curved, shell-like fracture.
Price: fine imperial topaz costs more than citrine, while treated blue topaz and heated citrine are both inexpensive.

Raw citrine and topaz gifts

Raw citrine and topaz gifts work best when the label tells the truth about color. A natural citrine point is usually pale and clear, while a bright orange cluster with white roots is heated amethyst; both are real quartz, but only one is natural citrine. Raw topaz comes as glassy, striated crystals, often colorless or sherry, with flat cleavage faces that catch the light. Look for the mineral, the locality and any treatment on the label. New pieces arrive in drops, and the list hears first.

November birthstone meaning

The November birthstone meaning in crystal lore is warmth and plenty: citrine is called the merchant's stone, and topaz was once said to calm anger and break spells. That is belief, not chemistry. The history is livelier. For centuries almost any yellow stone was sold as topaz, so plenty of old topaz jewelry is really citrine. The name topaz may come from Topazios, an island in the Red Sea, though the stone the ancients found there was probably peridot.

Citrine and topaz care

Citrine and topaz care is mostly about knocks and light. Both are water safe, so a rinse in plain water and a soft cloth is all they need. Topaz cleavage means a fall onto a hard floor can split a crystal, so set it down gently. Keep sherry-colored topaz out of strong, direct sun, which can fade it over time.