The November Birthstones – Topaz & Citrine
A new month brings with it a new birthstone and for people born in November that means a choice of two gems.
What is the November Birthstone?
The birthstone for November is a Citrine or Topaz gemstone.
Citrine
The name citrine derives from the French word ‘citron’ which means ‘lemon’ due to it’s yellow colour. Citrine is a transparent, yellow variety of quartz. It ranges in colour from pale yellow to almost brown, which represents the colours of the fall. Being one of the few orange gemstones in the world it is one of the most unique birthstones both in colour and appearance.
Topaz
Although topaz is the primary birthstone for November, citrine is considerably more affordable and readily available than topaz. Topaz differs from citrine in that it is an allochromatic, meaning that it changes colour if there is a defect in its crystal structure.
The most common topaz colour is brown, hence it’s common confusion with citrine. Other colours include pink, red and purple, however it can also be found in blue.
Both of these gemstones were found in ancient times on an island called Topazios, (more commonly known now as St John’s Island), which is situated in the Mediterranean near Egypt. It is said to have been used in Greece as far back as 300 B.C. Topaz is actually one of the gemstones that form the foundations of the gates to the Holy City of New Jerusalem.
Citrine can be found in larger sizes and a variety of shapes and cuts, which is not as common in other gemstones.
When combined with diamonds, the citrine gemstones offer a brilliant contrast and make for a perfect pairing.