# November babies, what do you think of our birthstone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401 "2008-11-19T02:15:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AmericanMaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@AmericanMaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmericanMaid)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/21 "2008-11-19T14:02:52Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Hideous. I’ve decided to convince myself that [fire opals](http://www.earlham.edu/~griffel/web/Mexican%20Fire%20Opals.jpg) are our birthright instead! 😃 > > I’m not sure when citrines were added to our options, seems like in the 90’s sometime. When I was a kid, it was all golden topaz, all the time. Blech. Looks like a kidney stone. > > Actually, my wedding ring has a very dark (roasted, obviously) citrine in it that I do like. The jeweler suggested it instead of the amber that I really like; amber’s too soft for a constantly worn ring, but this citrine, especially so small, looks like a bit of amber, and that works for me. > > **CutterJohn** , it’s not that we _can’t_ wear other jewelry, it’s that there’s a long tradition of giving children birthstone jewelry and we always got the ugly yellow earrings and necklaces at our birthdays. Some of us also got pumpkin pie instead of proper birthday cake! ☹ > 😛 I **LOVE** fire opals! Definitely more fitting for Sagitarius and Scorpio. I’m another November baby (11/22 - death day of JFK, Aldous Huxley and CS Lewis). Topaz is gross looking and if I could, I’d opt for blue topaz. Another alternative could be tiger’s eye. Same color but infinitely cooler. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/22 "2008-11-19T14:07:14Z")
You can give it all to me then! I’m not a November baby but I absolutely adore citrine. Aside from my wedding set, the only other ring I wear on a regular basis is an oval citrine I got for Christmas many years ago. It’s beautiful, and not very common. Yellow and orange are some of my favorite colors. I love how it looks like a little piece of sunshine. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/23 "2008-11-19T14:09:54Z")
I don’t think they’re ugly, but I don’t know who they look good on. Maybe really pale skin? I actually rather like them, or at least don’t mind them, but they don’t look great on my skin. I also like amber, however, but yellow or brown doesn’t work very well with me. I’m another, though, who if I had just waited one day - I’d be in December. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/24 "2008-11-19T14:45:56Z")
My husband has a November birthday, and he doesn’t like his birthstone. I wear a family ring with all of our birthstones in it - ruby for me, topaz for my husband, and emerald for both my kids. After I bought it I realized it’s traffic light colors. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/25 "2008-11-19T15:14:06Z")
There are several systems for determining birthstones. By month? Here’s a [nice summary](http://www.jewelrymall.com/birthstones.html). How about [astrology](http://www.astrologycom.com/gemstones.html)? Everybody knows their Sun Sign; I’m on the Cancer/Leo cusp, so I can pick & choose. (And nice rubies can be a bit pricey.) What’s your [Moon Sign](http://lunarium.co.uk/sign.php)? **Please note:** I don’t take Astrology seriously. But why limit your jewelry choice to whatever the gemstone industry is currently promoting? Citrine (a variety of quartz) comes in several shades & can be lovely in combination with other gems. (I have a lovely turquoise & citrine ring.) It also gives a “golden” effect to affordable silver jewelry. No matter when we were born, we aren’t “babies” any more. Gemstones are lovely & don’t need to be expensive. Find something lovely! ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/26 "2008-11-19T15:30:41Z")
I’m June, but my brother is November. I love topaz/citrine. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/27 "2008-11-19T15:36:21Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > There are several systems for determining birthstones. By month? Here’s a [nice summary](http://www.jewelrymall.com/birthstones.html). How about [astrology](http://www.astrologycom.com/gemstones.html)? Everybody knows their Sun Sign; I’m on the Cancer/Leo cusp, so I can pick & choose. (And nice rubies can be a bit pricey.) What’s your [Moon Sign](http://lunarium.co.uk/sign.php)? Bleh, I still got nothin’ I like. Turquoise (Sagittarius Sun) and/or diamond (Aries Moon). Nope, I stick with my fire opal theory. Or…ooh! Ooh! Can I take Amethyst, for an Aquarius Ascendant? I actually do have lots of Amethyst stuff. Seems fitting, as the Ascendant is mostly about appearances. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/28 "2008-11-19T15:49:24Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > **CutterJohn** , it’s not that we _can’t_ wear other jewelry, it’s that there’s a long tradition of giving children birthstone jewelry and we always got the ugly yellow earrings and necklaces at our birthdays. I have a hard time having much sympathy, given that I got at least one pair of ugly pink earrings. I’m an October baby, and Opals are fine with me (and I do have some opal jewelry), but even though I generally like pink, I’m not a big fan of pink zirconia or substitutes for pink zirconia, which is often used in place of opals. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/29 "2008-11-19T16:51:07Z")
Topaz sucks, but the only jewelery I’ve owned is a class ring with topaz in it, and I lost it at a car wash about 15 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/30 "2008-11-19T18:26:13Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > \ Some of us also got pumpkin pie instead of proper birthday cake! ☹ > 😛 That would have been me if I had been born in the US - my birthday is Nov. 27 (take a look at your calendar for this year). I dodged that bullet, but was born on the Grey Cup instead (Canadian version of the Superbowl), and I hate football. I can of course get any kind of jewellery I like; there’s just a certain cachet to wearing your birthstone. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/31 "2008-11-19T18:55:49Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > That would have been me if I had been born in the US - my birthday is Nov. 27 (take a look at your calendar for this year). I dodged that bullet, but was born on the Grey Cup instead (Canadian version of the Superbowl), and I hate football. November 26th here. Coincides with Thanksgiving every few years. I figure like I should be able to figure out how often, but my math skills are lacking. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/32 "2008-11-19T19:00:18Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > November 26th here. Coincides with Thanksgiving every few years. I figure like I should be able to figure out how often, but my math skills are lacking. My husband’s birthday is the 26th also. He likes to pretend the entire hoopla of Thanksgiving is in honor of his birthday - he says it did feel that way when he was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/33 "2008-11-19T19:16:34Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > That would have been me if I had been born in the US - my birthday is Nov. 27 (take a look at your calendar for this year). I dodged that bullet, but was born on the Grey Cup instead (Canadian version of the Superbowl), and I hate football. > > I can of course get any kind of jewellery I like; there’s just a certain cachet to wearing your birthstone. _Sigh_ I’m Nov. 27 too (_throws feather a stick_ we’ll settle this on the field of honor later), at least I’m not going with my extended family for thanksgiving this year, last time that happened Birthday + Thanksgiving + Everyone was just… too many jokes. And as to Bridget Burke’s link as a Sagittarius I’m liking Onyx and [Lapis Lazuli](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapis_lazuli), though turquoise is still kinda ugly. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/34 "2008-11-19T20:27:30Z")
November child checking in who actually likes his topaz. ---
**Author:** ![Wednesday\_Evening](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Wednesday\_Evening](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wednesday_Evening)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/35 "2008-11-19T20:44:13Z")
Another November 26th here! Having my birthday on Thanksgiving is fun, but it doesn’t always happen every seven years because Thanksgiving on the 26th has been skipped at least once in my lifetime due to a leap year. About the topaz/citrine: I have never been fond of the color. I decided (like some of the other posters) that blue topaz was an acceptable alternative. I have 3 rings that I wear all the time: wedding ring, engagement ring, and blue topaz ring. ---
**Author:** ![Jelymag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jelymag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jelymag)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/36 "2008-11-19T20:47:10Z")
Ick, hate the topaz. I haven’t owned one since I was about eight and conveniently “lost” my ugly orange birthstone earrings. ---
**Author:** ![ProudlyDefiant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@ProudlyDefiant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProudlyDefiant)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/37 "2008-11-19T22:25:50Z")
I’ll be one of the few voices saying that I love my November birthstone. It’s always struck me as a good seasonal color- a nice orangy-yellow like all the leaves on the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/38 "2008-11-19T22:36:59Z")
It is kind of seasonal - [this ring with Black Hills gold leaves](http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Watches/Black-Hills-Gold-Silver-November-Birthstone-Ring/3005405/product.html) is one of the few citrine rings I’ve seen that I like. Of course, seasonal is subjective; we have a couple of inches of snow on the ground by November here most years. Shout out to all my end of November peeps! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/39 "2008-11-20T01:40:42Z")
I’m another November 26 baby. I’m looking at this thread and thinking there must be something pretty special about that date. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401/40 "2008-11-20T02:25:40Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > There are several systems for determining birthstones. By month? Here’s a [nice summary](http://www.jewelrymall.com/birthstones.html). How about [astrology](http://www.astrologycom.com/gemstones.html)? Everybody knows their Sun Sign; I’m on the Cancer/Leo cusp, so I can pick & choose. (And nice rubies can be a bit pricey.) What’s your [Moon Sign](http://lunarium.co.uk/sign.php)? I’m July–ruby or moonstone (I guess). I did my moon sign and I’m a Scorpio, so now I get stuck with the damned topaz or citrine. :mad: 🙂 I don’t hold much with astrology, either (certainly not to run my life or anything), but reading that moon in scorpio bit did seem to describe me and my inner conflicts. Who knew? Now all I need is a tinfoil hat and a pyramid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/november-babies-what-do-you-think-of-our-birthstone/473401.md?page=3)