5 Ways to Make Your Jewellery Box Fun Again with Colour

If your jewellery box is mostly diamonds and white gold, here are five easy, wearable ways to bring colour back in: swap one everyday piece for a coloured gemstone, wear your birthstone as a staple instead of a once-a-year gift, choose one bold statement stone instead of a cluster, let a deeper-toned gem become your "instead of diamonds" piece, and build a small two-tone collection so you always have the right colour for your mood. None of this means giving up quality or restraint. A single, well-chosen coloured stone set in 9kt gold does more for an outfit than three matching diamond pieces ever will.

In this article

• 1. Stop defaulting to diamonds for every piece
• 2. Wear your birthstone as a year-round staple
• 3. Go bold with one statement stone instead of a cluster
• 4. Let a deeper-toned stone be your "instead of diamonds" piece
• 5. Build a two-tone colour wardrobe
• FAQ

1. Stop defaulting to diamonds for every piece

Diamonds are the safe choice, which is exactly why so many jewellery boxes end up looking the same. A coloured gemstone reads as considered rather than default. It tells people you picked this piece on purpose, not because it was the obvious option at the counter.

Warm-toned 9kt gold also does something white gold and platinum can't: it lifts a saturated colour instead of competing with it. Blue, gold-yellow, and green stones all sit warmer and richer against yellow gold, which is part of why colourful gemstone jewellery has become one of the defining trends in fine jewellery again this year. You don't need to overhaul your whole collection to feel it, one piece is enough to change how the rest of your jewellery reads.

2. Wear your birthstone as a year-round staple, not just a birthday gift

Birthstones tend to get boxed into one occasion a year. That's a waste of a genuinely good styling shortcut: your birthstone is, by definition, a colour that's already "you."

Citrine is one of two November birthstones (topaz is the other), and its warm, honey-gold tone is one of the easiest colours to wear daily, it sits close enough to gold that it never looks like it's trying too hard, while still giving you more personality than a plain chain. Our 9kt Gold and Citrine Necklace carries a 0.72ct oval citrine on a 45cm diamond-cut anchor chain, sized to sit just below the collarbone for layering or wearing alone.

November Birthstone

9kt Gold and Citrine Necklace

0.72ct oval citrine, 45cm diamond-cut anchor chain. A warm, everyday staple.

R5,900.00 Shop this necklace →

3. Go bold with one statement stone instead of a cluster

A single, well-cut stone almost always reads as more expensive and more modern than a cluster of smaller ones, even at a similar price point. It's a simpler shape for the eye to follow, and it photographs better too, which matters if half your "wearing" happens on camera.

London blue topaz is the deepest, most sophisticated of the blue topaz shades, closer to navy than sky blue, which makes it easy to wear with neutrals, denim, or black without fighting for attention. Our 9kt Gold London Blue Topaz Necklace sets a 0.98ct oval London blue topaz on a 45cm rolo chain.

November Birthstone

9kt Gold London Blue Topaz Necklace

0.98ct oval London blue topaz, 45cm rolo chain. Deep, versatile blue.

R6,490.00 Shop this necklace →

4. Let a deeper-toned stone be your "instead of diamonds" piece

Every jewellery box benefits from one piece that can carry a whole look on its own, the necklace you'd wear with a plain black dress and nothing else. That's a job for a larger, more saturated stone rather than a diamond pendant, which tends to disappear without other jewellery around it to catch the light.

Our 9kt Gold Skye Blue Topaz Necklace is built for exactly that. It carries a 1.46ct oval Skye blue topaz, brighter and more saturated than London blue, on a 45cm diamond-cut anchor chain. It's the largest stone of the three necklaces here, and the one we'd point to first if you only want to buy one colourful piece this year.

November Birthstone · Statement Piece

9kt Gold Skye Blue Topaz Necklace

1.46ct oval Skye blue topaz, 45cm diamond-cut anchor chain. Our boldest colour piece.

R8,900.00 Shop this necklace →

5. Build a two-tone colour wardrobe: one warm stone, one cool

You don't need ten gemstone necklaces to feel like your jewellery box has colour in it. Two is enough, one warm and one cool, so there's always a piece that matches your outfit and your mood rather than forcing the same necklace onto everything you wear.

Citrine and topaz sit on opposite ends of that pairing, which is part of why they were traditionally given as a matched set for November birthdays. Here's how the three necklaces in this piece compare, so you can see where each one fits:

Both stones are low-maintenance for daily wear. Topaz rates 8 on the Mohs hardness scale, according to GIA, and citrine (a member of the quartz family) rates 7, so both resist everyday scratching well. GIA recommends cleaning either stone with warm, soapy water and a soft cloth, and avoiding ultrasonic or steam cleaners, prolonged heat, or sharp temperature changes, which can affect colour or, in topaz's case, risk cleaving along its natural grain.

Frequently asked questions

What colour is the November birthstone?

November has two official birthstones: topaz, which ranges from a pale sky blue through to the deep London blue and larger, more saturated Skye blue seen here, and citrine, a warm gold-yellow quartz. Together they give November the widest colour range of any birthstone month.

Can I wear topaz and citrine together?

Yes. Because they sit on opposite sides of the colour wheel (cool blue and warm gold), topaz and citrine layer well rather than competing, and both suit 9kt gold settings. Many people who were born in November wear one of each as a pair rather than choosing between them.

Is blue topaz or citrine more valuable?

At the carat weights in this range, price differences come down more to size and cut than to the stone type itself. Topaz is slightly harder than citrine (8 versus 7 on the Mohs scale), but for everyday wear, both hold up well. Choosing between them is really a question of which tone you'll reach for more often.

Is 9kt gold good quality for everyday jewellery?

Yes. 9kt gold (37.5% pure gold) is a durable, widely used standard for everyday jewellery in South Africa. It's harder-wearing day to day than higher-karat gold, which makes it a practical choice for a necklace you'll want to wear often rather than save for occasions.

How do I clean a topaz or citrine necklace at home?

Warm, soapy water and a soft cloth is the safest method for both stones. Avoid ultrasonic or steam cleaners, and keep the piece away from prolonged heat or direct sunlight, which can affect the colour of certain topaz varieties over time.