November Birthstone - Topaz

With the end of daylight savings and the beginning of shorter temperate days, November marks a significant shift in the year, guiding us through the transition from the warm sunsets of autumn to the long, cold nights of winter.

So much occurs during this one month, Scorpios and those early-bird Sagittarii need a birthstone that can keep them grounded in such a tumultuous time of family, friends, and Black Friday-ing—and what birthstone is better suited to such a versatile month than a gemstone that’s equally versatile?

Topaz, of course.

This stunning, affordable gem comes in a dazzling rainbow of hues, from completely colorless to a more traditional orange-red to the perennially popular deep London blue. 

At Valerie Madison Fine Jewelry, we offer two alluring shades of topaz: a warm honey yellow and that prized London blue.

How to Care for Topaz Jewelry

Despite topaz’s hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, it is not a very tough gemstone—meaning it can fracture (cleave) if an unfortunate accident occurs or if subjected to sudden, extreme changes in temperature.

We recommend a few things when handling and caring for topaz:

• Clean your topaz only with warm, soapy water.
• Avoid placing your topaz in a steamer or ultrasonic.
• Avoid bumping your topaz jewelry against hard objects, like counters, car doors, and more.
• Prevent further harm by taking your jewelry in for inspection if you suspect it’s been damaged.