All About Citrine: Types, Colors, Description, Origins & Details
Citrine: a yellow gemstone belonging to the quartz family: bright, refined and crystalline to give you an idea just how precious it is. Radiant like sun and pleasant like lemon! You’d sure look like a royal queen in yellow. Who isn’t a fan of yellow after all?
The name citrine itself as been derived inspired from its sun like color hues. As much as we love adorning this vibrant gemstone in our jewelry, be it ring, bracelet or necklace, isn’t a mere glance at it enough to get us all curious to explore it even further? Well, to facilitate you with just that, our Citrine education is the overall guide to address all the basic yet engrossing knowledge revolving around citrine including the interesting history and beliefs the famous 4 C’s and properties of this Birthstone of November.
Properties of Citrine
Hardness
Having a hardness rating of 7 out of 10 on Moh’s scale which is on the higher side, Citrine is known to be pretty durable, withstanding the wear and tear of regular use with much ease.
Colors
The premium USP that sets it apart from the other gemstones! The color of this November birthstone ranges from yellow to brownish orange.
Luster
Citrine, belonging to the Quartz family, is known to possess a vitreous luster having a glass like appearance.
Origin & History
Ancient Greeks were the first ones to be mesmerized by the beauty of Citrine back in BCE when it was used as a decorative stone. Ever since, it was known for its protective powers, for soothing and curbing anger issues. While Romans embedded them fondly in their rings, Ancient Egyptians made use of these as tailsman. One thing was common though that everybody was equally mesmerized by the beauty of this November birthstone! From 1930s, the market was Citrine was such on the rise that gem-cutters from Germany to South Africa had begun shaping and polishing it aggressively.
Where is Citrine found?
Citrine is today found in Madagascar, Bolivia, Uruguay Mexico and Spain and has been known to hail from Ural Mountains in Russia along with Madagascar. Talking about its specific formation, most of the Citrine is known to form by exposing Amethyst or Smoky Quartz to intensive heat treatment (hence the name lemon quartz). Typically, one of the most unique formation of a gemstone discussed in our Citrine education guide.
Natural versus Heat Treated Citrine
Natural Citrine
The color of a natural Citrine crystal, straight from the mines, interestingly, is quite pale yellow, more like off white, in color. And let us tell you it is so rare that you’d hardly witness it. Apart from that, a natural citrine is known to grow in clusters and possesses the same color all over.
Heat Treated Citrine
A heat treated Citrine or shall we call it a heated Amethyst? Being quite common to be found with a more sun-like orange in color with a cloudy opaque white quiatz at the bottom. It does possess some color variation as well.
Citrine Quality and Price Filters
Wondering how to buy citrine, the amazing semi-precious gemstone? Talking about Citrine and not having mentioned its quality, typically the 4 Cs, i.e., cut, color, clarity and carat? Well, that’s quite impossible! The 4 Cs of Cittrine include:
Color
Citrine, like other colored gemstones comes with a palette of different saturation such as yellow, orange and reddish hues. The stones with lower value can offer a pale or smoky saturation. The color plays a crucial role while grading a citrine. Let’s give you a glance with our citrine buying guide:
- Light Yellow: Being known to represent positivity, a yellow colored citrine, also known as yellow quartz, can range from a lime like yellow color to an intense yellow color, thanks to the presence of yellow.
- Orange Yellow: Probably the most sought after color variety of Citrine! Orange Citrine ranges from a deep yellow-orange color to dark-red color. Its sun-like radiant glow makes it such an appealing pick.
- Brownish Yellow: Citrine quartz that is brown in color is usually lesser in value as it is less appealing because of lesser iron content.
Clarity
The Citrine Gemstone is basically a transparent quartz with vitreous luster. Mostly, inclusions in citrine are not visible to the naked eye making them eye-clean. However, color zoning can decrease the value as in most cases a uniform hue is desirable in this yellow gemstone. Based on the color and clarity factors, a citrine can be graded as from AAAA to A.
Carat
The carat weight of Citrine which is a huge determining factor of its price, ranges between 0.01 to 2 CT in our collection.
Cut
Something that magnifies its beauty! Citrine are available in large sizes facilitating for the cutter to offer any desired shape without much difficulty. Round and oval are the most common cuts for citrines since these cuts enhance the color by maximizing dispersion. Other cuts can include, trillion, cushion, pear, asscher and heart.
However, citrines found with inclusions are best suited for making beads or cabochons.
Citrine Grading Value
AAAA-A
Yes, here we jump back to the old school grading system! The one that can narrow everything down with quite an ease, helping you judge the quality of this beautiful semi-precious November birthstone better. Take the grip in your hands by judging the clarity and color better:
AAAAA
The most sought after and of course, the rarest out of the lot! The top 10 % citrine belonging to this category, possesses eye-clean clarity, deep orange color.
AAA
Another valuable category of Citrine, you sure won’t be able to resist! The top 20-30% of Citrine belonging to this category, possess slightly included clarity along with golden to reddish orange color.
AA
Slightly lesser in value, the 50-70 % of Citrine belonging to this category are known to be more included than the rest and slight pale in color.
Benefits of Citrine
Citrine, probably the most radiant gemstone out of the lot! Thanks to its sun-like beauty, it is known to symbolize positivity and hope since time immemorial. Let’s give you a glance at its wholesome benefits as well with our citrine education guide:
Physical Healing
Beauty with benefits indeed, Citrine helps with digestion problems, provides the wearer with physical strength and definitely not the least, helps purify the blood of the wearer by getting rid of toxins.
Emotional Healing
A glance at this lifelike and vibrant gemstone would’ve given you the idea of its crucial emotional healing properties, right? Helping you get rid of anger issues, anxiety and negative feelings, this November birthstone blesses the wearer with positivity, compassion and hope. Expected since it carries the power of sun.
Metaphysical Properties
Did you known Citrine has been hailed as the ‘Merchant’s stone.’ Such is the belief of Citrine bringing success and wealth in the life of the wearer. A positive November birthstone indeed!
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a Citrine made?
The yellow variety of the mineral, quartz which is formed by heat treatment of purple Amethyst. It can also be produced by heat-treating Smoky Quartz. In various Amethyst deposits, the purple gemstone can be partially or fully changed to citrine by natural heating.
What is difference between lab grown and natural Citrines?
Like most of the gemstones, there is an option to choose between natural and lab-created citrines. One must not confuse “lab grown” with the “fake”. While synthetic is a replica the lab grown is developed in a controlled lab environment.
The most notable differences between them include that naturally occurring citrines have inclusions or variations as compared to it lab grown counterpart which is free from any such inclusions. The Natural Citrines can lack the expected color and saturation.
Where do Citrines come from?
Citrine Jewelry is quite easy to clean due to their hardness and durability. However, a few things must be kept in mind like avoiding contact of the gemstone with make-up, harsh chemicals, abrasives.
While cleaning the jewelry make use of lukewarm water and mild cleaning detergent. Soft toothbrush can be used to clean the underside of the citrine.
Also, the jewelry must be individually kept to avoid contact with other jewelry to avoid unnecessary scratches.
What is a Citrine certification?
The most common Citrine Certifications includes from GIA, SGL and HRD labs. It is usually a document you receive on the behalf of the aforementioned 3rd party labs which describes an citrine in all of its characteristics. Each and every party’s defining grounds may defer.
Can you wear Citrine everyday?
Citrine, having a hardness of 7 out of 10 on Moh’s scale, is quite a durable gemstones that can withstand the wear and tear of regular use without scratching.
What is special about Citrine?
Having ties with solar plexus chakra, Citrine is known to bring positivity and optimism in the life of the wearer, thanks to its radiant yellow color. Embodying the soothing lime like color and the bright sun like radiance, Citrine is so special because of its unique yellow-orange color with reddish hues which can alone add to the glow of your jewelry and make you style statement more luminous.
Can you buy Citrine online?
We say why not? Citrine, the semi-precious birthstone of November, can be bought online with much ease. In fact, the wide range of shapes, sizes and designs that you can witness while buying citrine jewelry can sure mesmerize. All just as radiant and pretty! You can find natural Citrine jewelry that is SGL certified in our collection. Pick your favorite right away!
Conclusion
We bet just like us, you also cannot resist the sun like radiant charm of Citrine jewelry! And why should you? We say never settle for less when it comes to jewelry! And to assist you with just that, we have come up with our Citrine education guide to make you more familiar with your gemstone, making you feel more acquainted with your gemstone and make a better decision while buying Citrine jewelry. Informative, fun and engaging: that’s our Citrine education guide for you covering the intriguing history to the famous 4 Cs and the crucial properties of this November birthstone. Having mentioned that, here we sign off wishing you all the luck in picking your favorite Citrine jewelry.
