November birthstone gifts: citrine and topaz

Citrine is quartz, 7 on the Mohs scale, so it is hard enough for daily earrings, and small studs in solid gold cost about what plated jewellery does elsewhere.

Look for

• 5 to 6 mm stones, round or cushion
• Solid 14K gold, stamped 14K or 585
• “Natural citrine” usually means natural quartz; assume the colour was heated unless the seller says otherwise

Decadence citrine studs, 6 mm round, 14K white goldListing: natural citrine, solid 14K gold.about $100on Amazon → Decadence citrine studs, 5 mm cushion, 14K yellow goldListing: natural citrine, solid 14K gold.about $100on Amazon →

A single golden stone by the face is the classic November piece. Gem jewellers such as PEORA name the stone and the metal plainly.

Look for

• The stone size in millimetres
• Solid gold, or sterling silver; “18kt gold over sterling” is plated silver
• A chain included, with its length

PEORA citrine and diamond pendant, 10 x 8 mm oval, 14K white goldListing: natural citrine with diamond accents, solid 14K gold.about $250on Amazon → MAX + STONE citrine solitaire pendant, 8 mm cushion, 14K white goldListing: citrine, solid 14K white gold.about $240on Amazon → Ross-Simons 2.00 ct citrine and diamond sun pendant, 18kt gold over sterlingGold-plated sterling silver, per the listing.about $280on Amazon →

Because most citrine is heated amethyst, big clean stones are cheap, so a 19 carat pair of earrings or a 6 carat ring is within a gift budget.

Look for

• Total carat weight
• Solid gold for earrings worn often; plated silver is fine for an occasional ring
• A brand that calls imitations “simulated”

Ross-Simons 19.00 ct total citrine drop earrings, 14kt yellow goldSolid gold, per the listing.about $280on Amazon → Ross-Simons 6.00 ct citrine ring, 18kt gold over sterlingGold-plated sterling silver, per the listing.about $170on Amazon → Ross-Simons 4.60 ct citrine ring, 18kt gold over sterlingGold-plated sterling silver, per the listing.about $140on Amazon →

Blue topaz is real topaz, 8 on the Mohs scale, and its blue comes from treatment, which is why a few carats cost tens of dollars, not hundreds.

Look for

• Sky (light), Swiss (bright) or London (deep, inky) blue
• “Irradiated” or “treated” on the listing is a good sign: the seller is being straight
• Solid gold or sterling silver

Decadence Swiss blue topaz studs, 6 mm, solid 14K goldChoose blue topaz and your gold colour on the listing.about $100on Amazon → PEORA London blue topaz studs, 6 mm, 2 ct, 14K white goldSolid gold. The listing shows a lead time before it ships, so order early for Christmas.about $250on Amazon → Gem Stone King Swiss blue topaz oval studs, 3 ct total, sterling silverThe listing says irradiated, as Swiss blue always is.about $40on Amazon →

Topaz grows in big clear crystals, so a large pendant stone is affordable, and a pendant keeps it away from the knocks that can split topaz along its cleavage.

Look for

• Carat weight or size in millimetres
• Sterling silver or solid gold
• Watch for “mystic topaz”: a thin rainbow coating that can wear

PEORA London blue topaz pendant, 8 mm, 14K white goldNatural topaz in solid gold.about $250on Amazon → PEORA Swiss blue topaz pendant, 8 mm, 14K white goldSolid gold.about $230on Amazon → Gem Stone King London blue topaz pendant, 6.3 ct, sterling silverNatural topaz, treated.about $130on Amazon →

GIA rates topaz 8 for hardness but poor for toughness because of its cleavage, so a ring wants prongs or a bezel that guard the edges.

Look for

• A protective setting for a ring worn daily: topaz is hard but can split if knocked
• Box clasp with a safety latch on a bracelet
• Small accent stones named: some are cubic zirconia

PEORA London blue topaz three-stone ring, 2.25 ct, sterling silverThe classic deep London blue.about $80on Amazon → PEORA London blue topaz cathedral solitaire ring, sterling silverabout $80on Amazon → Gem Stone King London blue topaz tennis bracelet, sterling silverabout $100on Amazon →

Fine cut imperial topaz costs hundreds to thousands of dollars a carat; a natural crystal shows the colour for a fraction of that. A big faceted citrine is a gift a jeweller can set later.

Look for

• A natural imperial topaz crystal, sold as a crystal, is the honest way to own the rare colour cheaply
• For loose citrine, the size in millimetres and the cut
• Faceted citrine: treat it as heated unless told otherwise

Starborn natural imperial topaz crystal, 15 to 20 ctReal golden topaz from Brazil, untreated.about $40on Amazon → Starborn imperial topaz crystal post earrings, sterling silverNatural imperial topaz crystals.about $55on Amazon → Instagem citrine, cushion checkerboard cut, 14 x 12 mm, about 7 to 8.6 ctA large loose citrine from a long-running gem seller.about $120on Amazon →