What's in a name?
November’s birthstone is Topaz. Here in the United States we call topaz… Topaz. However in Brazil where topaz is mined, Topaz is called Precious Topaz and Citrine is called Topaz! It may sound confusing but it gets worse: they look very similar to the untrained eye. There are in fact many differences in the gemstones especially the relative rarity and value of each, not to mention the actual visual appearance of each.
Citrine, the alternative Birthstone for November
Topaz is its own mineral. Citrine, which is the alternative gemstone for November is actually a variety of Quartz. Citrine is yellow or orangey quartz. topaz is often in the same color family but because of its higher hardness it has a higher luster. Because of its different crystalline character it has stronger secondary color and can possess richer colors.
Blue Topaz
Blue Topaz is essentially colorless material that is heat treated and irradiated to mimic the natural and very rare naturally occurring material. Blue Topaz is much more like Citrine in terms of value and even potential size range. Blue Topaz typically is available in lighter ‘sky’ blue and darker ‘London’ blue. It most closely resembles Aquamarine in color but does not have the softness or complexity of Aqua.
Check out some of our creations made with November’s birthstones… you can stop by our studio in Evanston for a closeup look at the subtle differences between Topaz and Citrine!
