Nov 4, 2021

Happy Birthday, Citrine!

Did you know that the name citrine comes from an old French word "citrin," which means lemon?

This cheerful stone’s colour ranges from pale yellow to yellowish orange and it's the perfect stone if you love fall colours.

oval citrine and diamond white gold necklace next to dry maple leaves

Let's take a look at some fun facts about this wonderful gem:

Citrine is a member of the quartz family along with amethyst
It is the top-selling yellow/orange gemstone
The largest citrine ever discovered weighs 2,258 carats and is displayed at the Smithsonian museum in Washington
Most citrine on the market is produced by the process of heat treating amethyst
The finest citrine colour is a reddish orange and shows no sign of brown tints

selection of large loose oval, cushion and emerald cut citrine on a white tray

Source

The majority of citrine comes from Brazil, Bolivia, Madagascar, Mexico and Uruguay.

Availability

Citrine is fairly inexpensive and is available in a large variety of shapes and sizes making it perfect for large statement pieces such as cocktail rings as well as smaller jewellery items.

large emerald cut citrine and diamond halo white gold cocktail ring on a white background

Citrine is much more affordable than diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, aquamarine and alexandrite.

It is roughly the same price as amethyst, garnet and blue topaz.

Many of my clients are pleasantly surprised by how affordable this gorgeous coloured stone really is.

selection of amethyst, citrine and clue topaz necklaces next to a pink flower

Citrine Birthstone

Citrine is also known for the following traits:

brings self-confidence and positive energy
help eliminate fears
brings good fortune and good luck
an effective shield against spite and jealousy

citrine november birthstone inforgraphic

Do you know what powers and qualities your birthstone holds?

Visit my previous post titled Beauty and Power to find out!

cushion citrine yellow gold drop earrings

Durability

In terms of hardness, citrine scores a 7 out of 10 on Moh's scale.

With sapphires and rubies at 9 and diamonds at 10, these can scratch your citrine if not stored properly or if they rub against each other.

I wouldn't recommend it for an engagement ring but it makes a great option for "occasional wear" rings and other jewellery such as pendants and earrings.