 The birthstone for November, Citrine is the gemstone that is also the 13th anniversary gemstone. At one time known as Brazilian topaz, the etymological roots of citrine lead to the French word Citron, meaning lemon. While it is popularly sought in shades of yellow, varieties of citrine do abound in orange and wine colored Maderia reds.
Citrine is actually quartz, a mineral that occurs in colorless variety. The sister gem is amethyst. In its natural form, quartz is always colorless, but trace minerals give it color. The presence of iron gives citrine its yellow color. Since citrine is obtained by heat treating amethyst, it is also known as burnt amethyst. The heat treatment under expert guidance leads to a reduction of the oxidation within an amethyst, which yields the color yellow. A natural citrine always exhibits dichroism, which is absent in heat treated citrines.
Citrine rates a 7 on the hardness scale. Because the stone is heat sensitive, it should be protected from excessive exposure to heat or light.
The color of citrine is often said to recall the mellow warm glows of autumn sun. The high refractive index of citrine gives it the characteristic brilliance. Measuring a 7 on Mohs scale makes it a good gemstone for all jewelry.
In History:
The ancient Romans used it for beautiful jewelry and intaglio work. It was also very popular for jewelry in the 19th century. During the Art Deco period between World Wars I and II, large citrines were set in many prized pieces, including the massive and elaborate Art Deco inspired jewelry pieces. Some such examples are pieces made for big Hollywood stars such as Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford.
This period saw the emergence of citrine since at that time the only gemstone known to exhibit yellow gold color was Topaz. That is why in its initial usage, citrine went by double barreled names like gold topaz or smoky topaz. And such has been the usurping, that to this day topaz awaits its return while gold topaz, or citrine continues to sway the masses.
Citrine is witnessing a renaissance currently, since very large pieces make for fantastic jewelry settings, and add that trendiness to a piece.
Citrine the Sources
The largest supplier of natural citrine is Southern Brazil. Citrine mines in the US are found in Colorado, North Carolina and California. The gemstone is also found all over the world, in Spain( oldest known sources), , Africa, France, Britain, Madagascar and the Soviet Union.
Mystical Properties of Citrine
Citrine purifies the system and may help detoxify the body. Citrine is believed to be a tonic for the circulatory system, helping cleanse the blood. Citrine gives energy and invigorates the physical body.
Citrine is believed to be of value in healing the spiritual self as well, as it is a powerful cleanser and regenerator. It carries the virtues of self-healing, inspiration and self-improvement. Carrying the power of the sun, it is excellent for overcoming depression, fears and phobias.
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