Gemstone Information
Citrine is one of the most affordable gemstones. Named after the French word for lemon, "citron", many citrines have a juicy lemon color. Citrine includes yellow to gold to orange brown shades of transparent quartz. In ancient times, citrine was carried as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts. Natural citrines are rare. Most of the traded citrines are heat-treated amethysts or smoky quartzes. Since most citrine on the market started its life as amethyst, which was heated to turn its color to lemony yellow, citrine jewelry, as well as amethyst jewelry, should be kept away from prolonged exposure to strong light or heat. With this precaution, citrine jewelry will last for many generations.
Color: Natural citrines are mostly pale yellow. Almost all heat-treated citrines have a reddish tint, which applies especially for smoky quartzes. Brazilian heat-treated amethysts that are called citrines are light yellow, dark yellow or red-brown, depending on the temperature used. Once Madeira citrine, named after the color of the wine, was in big demand. As fashion changes, today many people prefer the bright lemony shades that mix better with pastel colors.
Cut: Citrines come in various calibrated shapes and sizes. The most common shapes include faceted, oval and emerald (step) cuts.
Citrine Location and Deposits: The most important deposits of natural citrine are in Brazil. Other locations include Argentina, Madagascar, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia Russia, Scotland and Spain..
The Amethyst Zodiac, Myth & Legend: Citrine is often used as a birthstone of November along with topaz. In Antiquity, as well as in the Middle Ages people believed that the cosmos is reflected in gemstones. Citrine is assigned to planet Mercury. The esoteric movement revived the ancient belief and the gem industry made it another marketing tool to promote certain gems.
The healing powers of gems remain a controversial issue, but are mentioned for centuries by healers, shamans and medicine men. Whether its factual or a placebo effect doesn't matter, if it helps. The safest approach is to wear the gemstone in skin contact to the troubled part of the body. Citrine is said to be of help for backache.
