November gets two golden stones for the darkest month of the year, which feels like a small kindness. Topaz and citrine both glow somewhere between honey and amber, and both look as though they are holding a little light of their own.

They also look so alike that they are constantly confused, including by people selling them. This guide sorts that out, then covers how to wear a November birthstone, how to style warm gold-toned stones with the gold you already own, and the one question worth asking before you buy either. For every month and stone, see our birthstones by month chart.

Topaz or citrine: what is the difference?

They are entirely different minerals that happen to share a colour. Citrine is a variety of quartz, the same family as amethyst. Topaz is an aluminium silicate, and a considerably harder stone at 8 on the scale against citrine's 7.

In practice, the choice comes down to this. Citrine tends to be a clearer, sunnier yellow and is the more affordable of the two, which means you can have a generous size without a painful price. Topaz in its golden and orange-pink forms, known as imperial topaz, is rarer and richer, with a warmth that leans toward peach. If you want size and brightness, citrine. If you want the rarer stone, topaz.

Three ways to wear a November birthstone

As a piece in its own right. Golden stones have a particular advantage: because they sit so close to gold in tone, a citrine or topaz pendant reads as part of your jewellery rather than as an accessory to it. The effect is warm and quietly rich rather than colourful, which makes it very easy to wear day to day, and especially good in winter.

Set small into something personalised. A golden stone set into an engraved tag, beside an initial, or as a small charm on a bracelet. This is where November's warmth works hardest, because the stone reads almost as a highlight in the gold rather than a contrast against it. It is also the natural way to mark more than one person, a stone each for your children along a single bar or tag.

Layered and stacked. Because the colour is tonal with gold rather than opposed to it, November's stones layer more easily than almost any other birthstone. You can wear a citrine pendant among two or three plain chains without it fighting anything, which is not true of a deep red or a strong blue.

Styling golden stones with your everyday gold

Yellow gold is the obvious and, we think, the best pairing. Warm stone in warm metal gives a tonal, glowing effect where the stone looks like a concentration of the gold rather than a separate object sitting in it. It is the most flattering setting for a paler citrine in particular, because the gold lends it depth.

Rose gold is beautiful with the more orange and peachy stones, especially imperial topaz, where the pink in the metal picks up the pink in the stone. It is the more romantic option of the three.

White gold creates the sharpest contrast and makes a golden stone look noticeably more yellow and more deliberate, which is the point if you want the birthstone to stand out rather than blend in.

The question worth asking

Both of November's stones are commonly treated, and it is rarely mentioned at the counter. Most citrine on the market is not naturally yellow at all: it is amethyst that has been heated until it turns golden. This is a long-established, permanent and perfectly legitimate practice, and the result is a real citrine. But naturally golden citrine is rarer and usually a softer, more honeyed colour, and it is worth knowing which you are buying.

With topaz, the situation is similar in reverse. Topaz is naturally most often colourless or very pale. The vivid blue topaz you see everywhere is almost always colourless topaz that has been irradiated and heated, again permanently and safely. Genuinely natural golden and imperial topaz is scarce, which is exactly why it carries a premium. Neither treatment is anything to be wary of. The point is simply to know what you have, and to pay the right price for it.

What colour is topaz, really?

This trips up more people than any other question about November. Topaz is not inherently golden. In its pure form it is colourless, and it occurs naturally in pale blue, pink, green, sherry-brown and the prized golden-orange. The blue topaz that fills most jewellery shops is treated, and the deep version is often sold as London blue.

November's birthstone is specifically the golden or yellow topaz, sometimes called precious topaz, with imperial topaz, a rich orange with pink undertones, at the top of the tree. Blue topaz belongs to December's list, not November's, which is a distinction worth making when you are choosing a gift. Most fine topaz comes from Brazil, with imperial topaz almost exclusively from Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais.

What topaz and citrine mean

Topaz has long stood for strength, clarity and protection. The Greeks believed it gave the wearer strength, and in the Middle Ages it was thought to break spells and calm anger. Its warm colour has always tied it to the sun.

Citrine carries the sunnier associations of the two: abundance, optimism and good fortune. It is sometimes called the merchant's stone, from the old habit of keeping a citrine in the till for prosperity. Between them, November's stones are about warmth, confidence and light, which is a generous set of meanings for the month that needs them most.

Caring for topaz and citrine

Both are straightforward, with one shared caution: keep them out of prolonged strong sunlight, because the colour of treated citrine and some topaz can fade over long exposure. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners, particularly with topaz, where vibration can find that cleavage plane. Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush is all either needs. Store them separately from harder stones such as sapphire and diamond, and take a topaz ring off before anything that risks a sharp knock.

November birthstone questions

What is the November birthstone?

November has two birthstones, topaz and citrine. Both are warm golden stones. November's topaz is specifically the golden or yellow variety, sometimes called precious topaz, with imperial topaz the rarest and richest form.

What is the difference between topaz and citrine?

They are different minerals that share a colour. Citrine is a variety of quartz and is softer at 7 on the hardness scale, and more affordable. Topaz is harder at 8 and rarer in its golden form, so it carries a higher price. Citrine tends to a clearer yellow, topaz to a warmer, peachier gold.

What colour is topaz?

Topaz is naturally colourless in its pure form and occurs in pale blue, pink, green, sherry-brown and golden-orange. November's birthstone is the golden or yellow variety. The bright blue topaz commonly sold is treated colourless topaz, and belongs to December's list rather than November's.

Is citrine heat-treated amethyst?

Most commercial citrine is, yes. Heating amethyst turns it golden, and the result is genuine citrine with permanent colour. Naturally golden citrine is rarer and tends to a softer, more honeyed tone. Neither is a problem, but it is worth asking which you are buying.

Is topaz good for everyday jewellery?

Topaz is hard at 8 and resists scratching well, but it has perfect cleavage, meaning a sharp knock in the wrong direction can split it. It is excellent in pendants and earrings, and fine in a ring with a protective setting, though best removed for anything rough. Citrine has no cleavage and is in some ways more forgiving.

What does citrine mean?

Citrine is associated with abundance, optimism and good fortune, and is sometimes called the merchant's stone after the tradition of keeping one in the till for prosperity. Topaz, its companion November stone, stands for strength, clarity and protection.