The name citrine comes from the French word ‘citron’ meaning lemon. Its warm yellow to orange colour spectrum is the perfect antidote to a typically chilly autumnal month and jewellery containing citrine is said to radiate positive energy and bring calmness, prosperity and warmth to the wearer – all this makes citrine jewellery a great gift for November birthdays.
Citrine is a type of quartz and ranges from pale yellow to brownish orange. It’s gorgeous sunny colouring, durability and price make it an attractive gemstone for jewellery. Natural citrine is fairly rare so beware that a lot of citrine gemstones will be heat treated amethyst or smoky quartz. All of our citrine jewellery is natural. Wearing this stone close to you as a bracelet, earrings or necklace is said to help create a feeling of positive energy and happiness. The stone is also thought to increase self-confidence and boost overall circulation. Wearing citrine could help you to think clearly in addition to enhancing your creativity and imagination.
The gemstone is 7 on the Mohs hardness scale which means it’s great for everyday wear yet it is fairly soft and can scratch against other surfaces. It’s advisable to keep your citrine jewellery in a jewellery bag or pouch, away from other items to keep it protected and to stop the silver from tarnishing.
Due to their warm colours, citrine stones conjure feelings of warmth and the sun and have been symbols of romance, positivity and happiness for hundreds of years. As well as the November birthstone, citrine is traditionally given as a 13th wedding anniversary present.
Citrine was used as a gemstone in Greece as far back as 300 BC and was sometimes mistakenly referred to as Gold Topaz or Madeira or Spanish Topaz because of its colour. It was also one of the twelve stones that decorated the breastplate of High Priest Aaron.
Moving forward through the ages, citrine was used in the jewellery of ancient Greek and Roman civilisations dating back to the 1st century A.D. In more recent times, citrine was favoured in elaborate Art Deco inspired pieces by classic Hollywood stars such as Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford. It also featured in the Cartier flamingo brooch commissioned by the Duke of Windsor for the Duchess of Windsor as a birthday gift in 1940 and Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, often wears a pair of drop citrine earrings.
Known by some as the ‘Light Maker’, this crystal is sometime referred to as Vitamin C for the soul with its properties of positivity, vitality and joy. It is thought to be connected to the energy of the sun which helps promote a sense of happiness and light and releases negative feelings, fears and phobias. It is an emotionally balancing stone.
Throughout history, citrine has also been known as the ‘Merchant’s Stone’ as many believe that the stone is said to bring prosperity and success. In feng shui philosophy, it is a stone that brings about good wealth and fortune.
Citrine is part of the quartz family that includes crystals such as amethyst, rose quartz and smoky quartz. After feldspar, quartz is the second most abundant mineral that exists in the earth’s continental crust. However, citrine is actually quite rare in nature which is why heat-treating other forms of quartz to create citrine is so prolific.
The stone tends to have a hexagonal crystal system and in its natural form has a cloudy or smoky appearance. A trace of iron in the citrine’s structure creates its yellow orange colouring.
Citrine is found in igneous and metamorphic rocks and classic sediments, in such countries as Brazil, Uruguay, Madagascar, Russia, South Africa, Spain and the United States of America.
