Topaz and Citrine: A Buyer's Guide to November's Birthstones
November has two birthstones, topaz and citrine, and the two are easy to confuse. Both come in yellow and orange. One is harder than the other, the softer one is the tougher of the two, and most of what is sold under both names has been treated with heat or radiation. Here is how to tell them apart and which one to choose for a ring you will wear every day.
Two different minerals that share a colour
Citrine is quartz. GIA describes it as the transparent, pale yellow to brownish orange variety of quartz, the same mineral family as amethyst and the clear rock crystal in a crystal ball. Topaz is a separate mineral with its own chemistry and its own crystal shape, and it comes in a much wider range of colours: colourless, yellow, sherry brown, pink, red-orange, and the blue that fills most jewellery cases.
GIA's topaz quality guide makes a point of separating sherry topaz from the cheaper citrine and smoky quartz, which tells you how often the two get swapped. A gemologist separates them with standard testing tools, because light passes through each mineral differently. You cannot do that by eye at home, so ask the seller, in writing, which mineral it is.
Hardness and toughness: the part people get backwards
Hardness is resistance to scratching. Toughness is resistance to breaking. Most buyers assume a harder stone is the safer one, and topaz is the case that proves that assumption wrong.
GIA rates topaz 8 on the Mohs hardness scale, which puts it above quartz and makes it hard to scratch in normal wear. The same GIA page rates its toughness as poor, because topaz has basal cleavage: a flat plane through the crystal along which it wants to split. GIA notes that a hard blow might split it, and that cutters angle the stone away from that plane and jewellers often use protective settings.
Citrine sits lower on the scratch scale. GIA gives it a 7 on the Mohs scale and good toughness, and says that makes it suitable for every type of jewellery, rings included, as long as the wearer accepts that it will scuff over years.
| Topaz | Citrine | |
|---|---|---|
| Mineral | Topaz | Quartz |
| Mohs hardness | 8 | 7 |
| Toughness | Poor (cleavage) | Good |
| Usual treatment | Blue: irradiation and heat | Heat (most is heated amethyst) |
| Ultrasonic cleaner | Avoid | Usually safe |
| Steam cleaner | Avoid | Avoid |
Here is what that means at the bench. A scratched citrine can be repolished. A topaz with a chip along its cleavage plane usually cannot be saved, because the break runs flat through the stone. So for a ring that gets knocked against desks and car doors, we steer people toward a bezel or a setting with the stone sitting low, whichever of the two stones they choose. For earrings and pendants, either one is fine in any setting.
Treatment: what you are actually buying
Almost every blue topaz in a shop started out colourless. GIA's November birthstone page says the blue topaz seen today is the permanent result of treating colorless topaz with irradiation and heating. The colour will not fade and the stone is safe to wear. It also explains the price: GIA notes that because colourless topaz is plentiful and the treatment works, blue topaz is widely available and inexpensive.
Citrine follows the same pattern with heat. GIA states that natural citrine is rare, and that most of the citrine on the market results from heat treatment. The starting material is amethyst: heat turns some pale purple amethyst yellow or orange, and GIA's birthstone page says the amethyst used for this is mined mostly in Brazil.
Neither treatment is a problem if it is disclosed. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission's Jewelry Guides say a seller must disclose a gemstone treatment when the treatment is temporary, when it creates special care needs, or when it has a significant effect on the stone's value. Those three tests make a good checklist for any purchase in Canada too. A seller who knows their stones will answer the question without hesitating.
One treatment does need care. GIA notes that colourless topaz is sometimes given a microscopic metallic oxide coating to create rainbow or "mystic" colours, and that the coating is not durable: an abrasive cleaner or a polishing wheel removes it. If you own a mystic topaz, keep it away from polishing cloths with compound in them and tell any jeweller who works on the piece.
The colours worth paying for
In topaz, the colour at the top of the price list is imperial topaz. GIA describes it as a medium reddish orange to orange-red and one of the most expensive topaz colours, and says commercial deposits are found in a single area: Ouro Preto in Brazil. Pink topaz and sherry tones sit below it. Blue, colourless and plain yellow topaz sit at the affordable end, and GIA notes they are often free of visible inclusions.
Size moves topaz prices in steps. GIA says the gem is inexpensive in smaller sizes, but prices rise for gems above 10x8 mm. For a birthday pendant, a stone under that size gets you good colour without paying the large-stone premium.
In citrine, GIA rates the finest colour as a saturated yellow to reddish orange free of brownish tints. Pale lemon yellow and yellowish brown are plentiful and affordable. When you compare two citrines, hold them over white paper in daylight. The one with less brown in it is the better stone, even when the other looks bigger.
Wearing and cleaning them
Both stones dislike sudden temperature change. GIA warns that high heat or sudden temperature changes can cause breaks in topaz, and that abrupt temperature changes can cause citrine to fracture. In practice that means taking rings off before you pull a tray out of the oven or step into a hot tub on a cold night.
Light matters for some colours. GIA notes that a few brown and yellow topaz shades can fade with long exposure to heat or sunlight, and that some citrine colour can fade under intense light. A ring worn daily will not suffer from this. A pendant left on a sunny windowsill for a summer might.
For cleaning, warm water, mild dish soap and a soft toothbrush work for both. Skip the steam cleaner for either stone. Skip the ultrasonic for topaz; citrine usually handles it, according to GIA, unless it has been dyed or fracture filled. Our guide to ultrasonic and steam cleaning by stone covers the rest of the jewellery box, and the Mohs scale care guide explains why a 7 and an 8 behave differently in a drawer.
Which one should you buy?
For a ring worn every day, we lean toward citrine in a protective setting, because its good toughness forgives knocks that could split a topaz. For a pendant or earrings, choose by colour: blue topaz if the person wears silver and cool tones, citrine if they wear yellow gold. For a stone that is rare and worth insuring, imperial topaz is the one to save for. Our November birthstone page has more on each stone, and the birthstone gift guide covers sizing and gifting for every month.
Citrine and coloured stone pieces in the shop
We do not stock topaz online right now. These are the citrine and coloured stone pieces in our cases this month, and you can ask us about setting a topaz in a custom piece.
Key Takeaways
- Topaz and citrine are different minerals. Citrine is quartz; topaz is its own mineral. Ask the seller in writing which one you are buying.
- Topaz is harder (GIA rates it 8 on the Mohs scale against citrine's 7), but its cleavage gives it poor toughness, so a hard knock can split it. Citrine has good toughness.
- Nearly all blue topaz is colourless topaz treated with irradiation and heat, and most citrine is heat-treated amethyst. Both treatments are permanent and safe.
- Imperial topaz, a reddish orange to orange-red, is the expensive colour. In citrine, saturated yellow to reddish orange with no brown is the top grade.
- Clean both with warm soapy water. Never steam either one, and keep topaz out of the ultrasonic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the November birthstone?
November has two birthstones, topaz and citrine, and you can choose either one. GIA's birthstone guide lists both for the month. They overlap in colour, since both come in yellow and orange, which is why people mix them up. The difference is the mineral underneath. Citrine is a variety of quartz, the same family as amethyst. Topaz is a separate mineral that also comes in blue, pink, colourless and a red-orange called imperial topaz. If the person you are buying for loves blue, topaz is the only November choice in that colour. If they wear yellow gold every day and want something warm and sturdy, citrine is the easier stone to live with. Both are affordable in small sizes, so the choice usually comes down to colour and to how hard the piece will be worn. Ask to see both side by side in daylight before you decide.
Is topaz harder than citrine?
Yes. GIA rates topaz 8 on the Mohs scale and citrine 7, so topaz resists scratches better. Hardness only measures scratching, though. Toughness measures how well a stone resists chipping and breaking, and there the order flips. GIA rates topaz toughness as poor because of its cleavage, a flat plane inside the crystal along which a sharp knock can split it. Citrine has good toughness. In practice, a citrine ring will collect fine scuffs over years of wear that a jeweller can polish out, while a topaz ring is more likely to suffer one sudden chip that cannot be repaired. For a ring that will be worn every day, that trade usually favours citrine. For earrings and pendants, which rarely hit anything, topaz's extra hardness keeps the polish looking new for longer. Choose the setting with that in mind.
Is blue topaz natural?
Almost never. GIA says the blue topaz on the market today is the permanent result of treating colourless topaz with irradiation and heating. Natural blue topaz does exist, but it is pale and rare, and you are unlikely to see it in a retail case. The treatment is stable. GIA calls the result permanent, so the colour will not wash out with wear. The treatment is also the reason blue topaz is so affordable: colourless topaz is plentiful, so a large, clean blue stone costs a fraction of what a sapphire of the same size would. Shades run from pale sky tones to deep inky blue. Pick the shade you like in daylight, and ask the seller to confirm on the receipt that the colour is treated, which it almost always is. If a seller tells you a blue topaz is untreated, ask for a laboratory report before paying a premium for it.
How can I tell if citrine is real or heated amethyst?
Heated amethyst is real citrine in the sense that matters: it is quartz with a yellow to orange colour, and GIA notes that most citrine on the market comes from heat treatment. What you want to know is whether the colour is natural. You cannot reliably tell by eye, and we would not trust anyone who claims they can from across a counter. A gemological laboratory can examine the stone and report on its colour origin, which is worth doing for a large or expensive piece. For an everyday citrine, the practical step is to ask the seller to write on the receipt whether the colour is heated. A heated citrine is a fine stone to own, and the price should reflect that it is the common form.
Can I wear a topaz ring every day?
You can, with the right setting and a few habits. Topaz is hard enough to resist scratching from most daily contact, since GIA rates it 8 on the Mohs scale. The risk is a sharp knock. GIA notes topaz has poor toughness because of its cleavage, and that a hard blow might split it. So choose a setting that guards the stone: a full bezel, a low setting where the stone sits close to the finger, or a halo of small stones that takes the impact first. Avoid tall, open prong settings for a daily ring. Take the ring off for the gym, for gardening and for moving furniture. Also avoid sudden temperature change, which GIA warns can cause breaks in topaz, so remove it before you reach into a hot oven. Bring the ring in once a year so we can check the setting for movement.
How do I clean topaz and citrine jewellery?
Use warm water, a few drops of mild dish soap and a soft toothbrush, then rinse and pat dry with a lint-free cloth. That method is safe for both stones. Beyond that, the two differ. GIA says to avoid steam and ultrasonic cleaners for topaz entirely. For citrine, GIA says ultrasonic cleaners are usually safe unless the stone has been dyed or fracture filled, and steam cleaning is not recommended because citrine should not be exposed to heat. If you own mystic or rainbow topaz, be gentler again: GIA notes that the metallic oxide coating used to make those colours is not durable and that abrasive cleaners will remove it. Never use toothpaste, baking soda or a polishing cloth with compound on a coated stone. If the piece has lost its shine and soap does not bring it back, bring it in and we will clean it for you at the counter.
What is imperial topaz and why does it cost more?
Imperial topaz is the trade name for topaz in a medium reddish orange to orange-red, and GIA lists it among the most expensive topaz colours. The price comes from rarity. GIA states that commercial deposits of imperial topaz are found in a single area of the world, around Ouro Preto in Brazil, so the supply is small and fine stones above a few carats are hard to find. Colour drives the value more than anything else: stones with more red and less brown sit at the top, and pink to red-orange stones with good saturation sell well above the yellow and sherry tones. Because the name carries a premium, it gets misused. Ask for a gemological report on any stone sold as imperial topaz at a high price, and read what the report says about colour origin before you pay for the name.
Is topaz or citrine better for an engagement ring?
Neither is our first choice for an engagement ring, which is the hardest-working piece of jewellery most people own. If you love the colour, citrine is the better of the two for that job. GIA gives citrine good toughness, so it survives knocks that could split a topaz along its cleavage. It will scratch more easily than a sapphire or a diamond, so expect to have it repolished every few years, which is a simple job on quartz. If you want a yellow or orange centre stone that will stay sharp for decades, look at yellow or orange sapphire as well, since corundum is far harder than either November stone. Whatever you choose, use a protective setting such as a bezel. Our guide to coloured gemstone engagement rings compares the main options side by side.
Sources
- GIA: November Birthstones, Topaz and Citrine
- GIA: Topaz Description
- GIA: Topaz Care and Cleaning Guide
- GIA: Topaz Quality Factors
- GIA: Citrine Description
- GIA: Citrine Care and Cleaning Guide
- US Federal Trade Commission Jewelry Guides, 16 CFR 23.24: Disclosure of treatments to gemstones
Data sourced October 2026. Hardness, toughness, treatment and care information from GIA. Treatment disclosure rule from the US FTC Jewelry Guides. Setting advice and bench experience are our own practice at our Coquitlam shop.
Visit Vanhess
Come in and look at topaz and citrine side by side in daylight, which is the quickest way to see the difference in colour. We are a family-run studio at 2929 Barnet Highway, Unit 2424, in Coquitlam Centre, with a goldsmith working on site, so we can talk through settings and set a stone in a custom piece if nothing in the case is right. We also serve Port Moody, Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver. Call +1 (604) 653-6449 or visit our contact page before you come.
