CITRINE

Citrine is the yellow variety of macrocrystalline Quartz that takes its name from "citron," the French word for lemon. Citrine is a beautiful transparent gemstone and one of November's birthstones.

Legends and lore

Citrine was first used in jewelry in Greece during the Hellenistic period (end of the 4th to the end of the 1st century BC).

The first use of Citrine by the Romans was in intaglios (a gem carved in negative relief) and cabochons in the first centuries after the birth of Christ.

In antiquity, Citrine was believed to be the gemstone of happiness and used as a protective talisman against evil thoughts.

Among its many historic medicinal uses, Citrine was believed to aid digestion, remove toxins from the body (Citrine was once commonly used as a charm against snakebites and venomous reptiles), provide protection against the plague and bad skin, and to be useful in the treatment of depression, constipation and diabetes.

Among crystal healers, Citrine is said to be especially useful in stimulating one's mental capacities, enhancing creativity and intuition and bolstering one's self-confidence. It is also said to give emotional control while making one more alert. Citrine is also said to be very helpful in assisting one to acquire and maintain wealth.

Just the facts

Citrine occurs naturally in proximity to Amethyst and is a related Quartz mineral. The color of Citrine is due to small amounts (approximately 40 parts per million) of iron in the crystal structure of Quartz.

Citrine ranges in color from pastel lemon yellow to golden yellow to mandarin orange and "Madeira" red, after the color of the wine. Traditionally, the "Madeira" shades were more coveted, but these days many people prefer Citrine's brighter lemon tones. Most of the Citrine mined today comes from Uruguay, Brazil and many African nations including Madagascar. Citrine can be easily confused with Topaz and has even been called "Topaz Quartz."

Multi Color Citrine beautifully melds the bright golden yellows of Citrine with the ice whites of White Quartz in one gem. Multi Color Citrine occurs because of environmental changes during formation. At different times, the color-causing element (iron) was incorporated into the crystal, causing different color layers. Purposely cut to showcase this feature, Multi Color Citrine is generally judged by the balanced contrast between its colors. Cutting the gem so both colors show is sometimes challenging for cutters. While notoriously difficult to cut consistently, a well cut multicolored gem is a real delight.