Citrines at a Glance:

 Mineral Name:  Quartz
 Colour:  Medium deep shade of golden yellow
 Main Factor  Affecting  Value:  Much of the faceted citrine in the market is eye-clean, meaning it lacks eye-visible inclusions.
 Inclusions:  Dealers look for citrines without 'colour zoning' or visible inclusions.
 Birthstone:  Citrine is a November Birthstone
 Some Diamond Mines:  Bolivia, Madagascar, Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, Namibia and parts of the US.

 

World of Citrines:

Citrines have been the one ‘constant’, within jewellery, spanning a thousand years and most commonly found in Brazil, Bolivia & Spain.  Citrines are Yellow gemstones and are a coloured variety of Quartz.

Citrines: As a ‘talisman’.

Citrines symbolise peace and productivity. Consumers are drawn to the colour because it signifies health, happiness, and the healing power of wisdom. The crystals embodied within a citrine, personify success, abundance, and personal power. A citrine represents joy which has the ability to light up a life, due to it being a solar plexus chakra gemstone.

Brief history

According to the book of Exodus, learned scholars felt passionately that the citrine gemstone fitted the description of Aaron’s breastplate. Aaron was the First Priest of Israel, according to the Biblical book Leviticus, where his story began in Exodus, as a spokesman for his brother, the legendary Moses.

The largest citrine found:

In 2010, the largest citrine stone was found in Malaga, Spain, weighing over 20,200 carats. Although found in a Brazilian mine, the gemstone was named Malaga due to its first unveiling there to the international diamond and gemstone community/world.

Historical:

Citrines were heavily used in art between the First World War and Second World War respectively, especially during the Art Deco era and during the 17th Century, Scottish men used hand-crafted Citrines, decoratively on swords and daggers.

Interesting facts: Citrines

1. Citrine is an alternative variation of quartz, the second most abundant mineral on Earth.

2. Citrine is associated with hope, strength, cheerfulness, and good health. It has been believed to promote creativity, help clarity, and eliminate self-destructive tendencies.

3. The name citrine comes from an old French word ‘citrin’, meaning lemon.  As one of the rare versions of quartz, this gemstone ranges in colour from the palest yellow to a sombre amber.

4. The Romans were thought to be the first to wear quartz, crafting it into a polished but unfaceted cut of stone known as cabochon.

5. Citrine became more popular during the Romantic Period which was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 1800s.

6. According to Chinese legend, citrine is ‘The Stone of Success’, and should only be given to generous & worthy people. Citrine jewellery was deeply lauded by ancient emperors for its ability to increase intellectual capabilities. Today, citrine is used by modern Chinese students to help them succeed in exams. Chinese professors use it when lecturing. Citrine is widely used in China during gemstone healing sessions to create a sense of feeling and emotion.

7. Citrine, like all forms of quartz, was believed during the European Early Modern Period to have magical powers and was worn as a talisman against evil thoughts and snake venom.

8. Citrine is mainly mined in Brazil. Quantities of citrine are found in Russia, Colorado, Madagascar, Bolivia, Burma, Canada, Sri Lanka, Spain, and the U.S.

9. Citrine is associated with two divine deities: Demeter, the Greek goddess of harvest, associated with productivity, and Sekhmet, the Egyptian goddess of war.

10. Citrine has a Mohs Scale Hardness rating of 7, meaning it isn’t scratched so easily and is durable enough to avoid chipping from day-to-day wear.

Celebrities / public figures who wear citrines:

  • Naomi Harris (October 2013; The ‘Oscars’; Academy Awards ceremony;  – via Citrine Jewelers, USA – red carpet event for its numerous Oscar nominations for ‘Skyfall’)
  • Jessica Chastain (March 2012 – The ‘Oscars’; Academy Awards ceremony;  – via Citrine Jewelers, USA – red carpet event for its Oscar nominations for ‘Zero Dark Thirty’)
  • Emma Watson (November 2015 – for Angara Jewellery range, USA)
  • Kate Middleton / Duchess of Cambridge (June 2015 – via Marie Claire magazine, UK for Kiki McDonough)

Interesting fact: Dec 2015

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie-Pitt, married to Brad Pitt; donated an 18-carat citrine necklace from Robert Procop’s ‘Style of Jolie’, which she designed herself, from her collection; to the Smithsonian Museum’s National Gem Collection, on Dec 11, but announced on Christmas Eve.