Citrine & Topaz | The Birthstone Duo of November

Those with November birthdays have two beautiful birthstones to choose from: topaz and citrine. Blue topaz is the most popular but also comes in a rainbow of colors, while citrine is prized for its charming yellow and orange hues. Both November birthstones are known to have calming energies while bringing fortune and warmth to the wearer.

The bright and cheerful stone citrine is a member of the quartz family. The stone is named after the French word for lemon because of its distinctive shade of yellow. While best known for its yellow hue, citrine actually comes in a variety of shades shades ranging from a pale lemon, honey, amber, all the way to a deep gold – sometimes with tiny rainbows inside. Citrine is one of the best stones for attracting positivity, getting rid of stale energy, and lifting one's mood. Citrine is like seeing a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. The yellow to yellow-orange gem is popular and affordable, lending itself well to any design. The golden gemstone shines when accented with diamonds, or set in contrasting white metals such as silver or white gold.

citrine november birthstone

Citrine is often associated with the values of hope, cheerfulness, youth, health, and fidelity. Its unique yellow color is thought to radiate positive energy. This gem is also known as “healing quartz,” because legend has it that citrine promotes vitality and energy in whoever wears it. Because of these characteristics, the ancient Greeks carved iconic images into citrine gems, and Roman priests used citrines for their sacred rings. Ancient Egyptians used citrine gems as talismans, protecting them while traveling. 

Citrine is relatively resistant against scratches and chipping due to its hardness. It is a 7 on the Mohs scale, making it quite durable. Citrine’s durability makes it a great option for jewelry worn daily and for larger gemstone designs. 

While citrine can be found all over the world, most is mined in Brazil. One of the world's largest citrine stones is a stunning citrine from Brazil, weighing 2,258 carats. The gem can be found at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Topaz has long been known to symbolize peace and healing. Originally found by the Romans roughly 2000 years ago on the Island of Topazios in the Red Sea, they aptly gave the blue stone the name 'topaz'. Romans believed wearing topaz could protect them from enemies. Topaz is very sacred to the Hindus, who believe that when worn as a pendant, the gemstone will relieve thirst, sharpen intelligence and lengthen one's life.

Topaz has been said to increase creative energies. It gives one access to their artistic creativity, and increases one’s appreciation of beauty. Some even believe topaz is beneficial for promoting concentration.

While topaz comes in a variety of colors from yellow, orange to even a red tone - the most notable is blue topaz. Blue topaz can range from a very light blue to a deeper blue color. It can also have a slightly turquoise hue, very similar to an aquamarine. At TIVOL, one of our favorites is London blue topaz. It is a popular color and is often featured in Lagos and David Yurman designs.

With a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, topaz is almost as hard as sapphire and tougher than tanzanite. This makes topaz a great stone for larger jewelry items such as cocktail rings.  One of the largest topaz stones in the world is showcased at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. It comes from Brazil and weighs in at a massive 600 pounds!

Whatever their gemstone preference, those born in November have a great selection of gifts to choose from! To browse all citrine and topaz jewelry, visit TIVOL on the Country Club Plaza or Hawthorne Plaza. You can also shop online:

Citrine Jewelry

Topaz Jewelry