Citrine

Overview
Citrine is a member of the Quartz family. It is a beautiful yellow gemstone with a color that ranges from light to dark. Good quality citrine is clear, while lower grade style, like those used in beading, can have an opaque look to it. Citrine is the traditional birthstone for November. Citrine is sometimes mistaken for the more expensive yellow topaz. Citrine is believed to promote creativity.

About the Stone

Citrine sits at a 7 on the Mohs Scale. It is a member of the quartz family along with onyx, carnelian, and amethyst.

Natural citrine is very rare and is found in very small amount in only a few places in the world. Russia, Spain, France, and Hungary are known for natural citrine. Most citrine you see on the market is actually amethyst or smoky quartz that has been heat treated. The heat treatment changes to color of the stone to a shade of yellow. It is difficult to tell natural citrine from heat treated citrine unless you are a gemologist and know what to look for.

Citrine is the birthstone for November, and the planetary stone for Virgo. Citrine is also the gemstone for the 13th and 17th year of marriage.

Metaphysical Properties

In medieval times, people believed citrine would protect against snake venom and evil thoughts. Today, it has many uses for the body and mind:

• citrine is very good for the heart, liver and muscles
• citrine also helps with digestion
• this beautiful gemstone encourages creativity and clarity
• People with self-destructive tendencies have found citrine to be very helpful

Citrine in Jewelry

There aren't many yellow gemstones out there, and there are even fewer that are affordable. Citrine is a wonderful option that offers a wide range of color in the yellow spectrum. When buying any citrine bead or stone, if it isn't otherwise listed (or grossly overpriced) you should assume you are dealing with a heat treated stone.

Please keep in mind that natural citrine has always been rare, and this technique of heat treating other quartz stones has been commonplace for many, many years. In the gemstone business, this is believed to be common knowledge, so heat treating in this particular case is not considered to be enhancing the stone, simply making it available to the general public.