Many of our customers appreciate the unique traits of each month’s gems, particularly their color and the way that designers work them into jewelry. The birthstones of November are topaz and citrine, and if you’re a lover of beautiful gems, you’ll find a lot to adore about these two stones too. Topaz, named for an ancient island in the Red Sea, is an aluminum silicate mineral, while citrine is a yellow quartz that has iron impurities in its silicon tetroxide matrix.
Those scientific terms belie the natural beauty of these gems. In its most common form, topaz is a sunny canary yellow, but it can also be found in reddish-violet, peach, blue and orange-gold, making it a striking choice for a fashionable gemstone necklace. Citrine, by definition, must be yellow, but as a quartz, it’s “related” to other colors of quartz, including amethyst, and swatches of other colors can be found in a matrix of citrine quartz.
If you’re looking to get your special November someone a beautiful gift that symbolizes your affection for them, read on to find out four special features of these November birthstones!
Trait #1: Resilience
Topaz and citrine are both extremely hard minerals. For reference, the hardest mineral is diamond, which is a 10 on the Mohs scale. Corundum (rubies and sapphires) is 9. Topaz is a natural 8 on the Mohs scale, making it the third hardest mineral in the world. Quartz follows close behind by being 7. The ruggedness of these gems makes them too hard to be scored by steel, which is a great trait for gemstone fashion rings—if your special November loved one accidentally hits their topaz ring against a wall, there’s little risk of damage!
Trait #2: Mysticism
Topaz and citrine also have long histories of mystical storytelling associated with them. When you buy your loved one a luminous pair of topaz Allison Kaufman earrings to set against her face, you can tell her that the topaz has been valued for centuries for its purported ability to heal body and mind, bring inner peace, and summon good fortune. Citrine is no less valued by the spiritually inclined, either! Known as the merchant stone, it’s been valued as a bringer of wealth for centuries.
Trait #3: Cost and Size
While topaz and citrine are gorgeous gems, they’re also very affordable! There’s no need to break the bank to get a lot of glorious topaz in a piece of jewelry. Just look at the remarkable Island Rains collection of fashion pieces from TACORI: Carats of the durable, luminous stone are utilized by the designer to put together bold looks. If you want to surprise your loved one with a full collection of November-themed fashion pieces, from gemstone earrings to bracelets, these gems are great choices.
Trait #4: Fashionable Looks
Frankly, it’s hard to ignore that topazes and citrines are extremely fashionable choices for jewelry. Beyond the lovely fashion pieces from designers like Madison L, topazes are very popular choices for accent stones in engagement rings. We mentioned the color versatility of topaz and quartzes, so even if your special someone isn’t partial to yellow, there’s a lot of flexibility when you’re getting them a November birthstone—a London blue topaz or a stunning chunk of ametrine may be the ideal gift for the color-lover in your life.
Find November Birthstone Jewelry at Rumanoff’s Fine Jewelry
If you’re interested in learning more about the special traits of citrine and topaz, as well as how they can be used for a special piece of jewelry for your November loved one, get in touch with us at Rumanoff’s Fine Jewelry! You can call us at (203) 230-1199 for our Hamden, Connecticut showroom.
