Citrine and Topaz

I thought it might be interesting to write an article on the birthstone for November. November has two birthstones that are commonly used which are Citrine and Topaz.

Citrine is a yellow quartz, with a hardness of 7. It is named after the French word for lemon, ‘citron’, most citrines are actually more of a golden than lemon yellow. The yellow colour is due to the presence of iron (iron oxide). Citrine colours include, yellow to gold, to orange, brown and red. Names such as brandy or Madeira citrine are used for the darker varieties. Natural citrine is pale yellow in colour but it is very rare.

The most common citrine is heat treated amethyst, but it can also be made from Smokey quartz. Citrine is easily confused with aged amethyst.

Citrine mainly occurs in the same areas as amethyst as it can occur as Ametrine. Gem quality Citrine is found in Russia, India, France, Brazil, Spain and in North Carolina.

The healing powers of gems remain a controversial issue, but are mentioned for centuries by healers, shamans and medicine men. Whether its factual or not it doesn’t matter, if it helps, it helps. The safest approach is to wear the gemstone in skin contact to the troubled part of the body. Citrine is said to be of help for backache.

In ancient times, citrine was carried as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts. Today citrine is known as the merchant’s stone and is associated with success and prosperity.

We have produced many bespoke engagement rings using citrine, more so as side or accent stones. Please contact us if you have any questions about using Citrine in an engagement ring or if you would like to arrange a design consultation.