CITRINE
Citrine is a yellow or golden variety of quartz, colored with iron. Natural citrine is relatively rare, occurring in Brazil, Madagascar and Myanmar. Most citrine on the market today is actually heat-treated amethyst. When amethyst is heated to abut 900 degrees Fahrenheit, it alters to a golden tone. This treatment is completely stable, and it has no negative influence on the assessment of the gem. Intensely colored citrine is sometimes misrepresented as the more valuable yellow topaz. Madeira topaz and Bahia topaz are actually misnomers because they both refer to citrine, not topaz. The irony is, that although topaz is considerably more expensive than citrine, citrine is tougher and wears better than topaz.
THE HISTORY
|
Citrine quartz is typically mined in South America, specifically Brazil and Uruguay. It's name is derived from old French 'citron' to mean citrus, an ode to it's incredibly sunny body color, thought to bring happiness to its wearer.
This jewel has long been revered for its honeyed hues and can be seen in Greek/Roman artifacts and writings. Even early Chinese lore speaks of citrine as a "stone of success", thought to bring good fortune and profit to business owners. This school of thought was also adopted by the Western world who coined it as the merchant's stone. Citrine is celebrated as November's birthstone and is the traditional gemstone to gift for the thirteenth wedding anniversary. |
|
CARING FOR CITRINE
Citrine is a hard durable stone that can be cleaned with a soft brush in warm soapy water or wiped clean with a soft cloth. When stored, it should be wrapped to prevent it from scratching softer stones or it being scratched by harder stones such as diamond and sapphire. Avoid harsh chemicals when wearing this stone or any kind of jewelry.
