Citrine
Citrine – what kind of stone is it?
Citrine is a mineral from the group of silicates, classified as a semi-precious stone. Citrine is a rare variety of quartz. Its name comes from:
- the Old French word “citrin” – meaning “yellow”
- the Latin word “citrus” – meaning “citrus tree”
- the Greek word “kitros” – meaning “lemon”.
Citrine is a yellow stone, but it can be found in various shades – from light yellow to deep honey tones. Citrine stones occur in Brazil, the United States, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Spain, Russia, and Madagascar. Natural citrines with a yellow color are rarely found in nature, which is why the method of heating amethysts and smoky quartz is often used in jewelry to achieve stones similar to citrines. These minerals achieve a color ranging from light yellow to reddish-brown at temperatures between 470 and 560 °C. A distinguishing feature of those produced by heating is that they have a reddish hue, whereas natural citrine is pale yellow. Occasionally in nature, a two-tone yellow-purple variety of citrine is found, which is partly amethyst and partly citrine and is called ametrine.
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Citrine – properties
Citrine stones are silicon dioxide, which can be found in geodes among basalts, as pebbles in river alluvium, and as a component of pegmatites and hydrothermal formations. This mineral is often found in the company of tourmaline or beryl. Citrines form crystalline brushes that give the stone a certain shape after cutting. The citrine stone is transparent, and its yellow color is due to trace amounts of iron. It has a vitreous to greasy luster on the fracture and barely perceptible cleavage. Its density is 2.65 g/cm3, while its hardness on the Mohs scale is determined at 6.5-7. Citrine forms prismatic-columnar crystals and crystallizes in the trigonal system.
Citrine stone – color
The name of this mineral refers to its color. Citrines owe their yellow color to iron molecules found in them. Citrines can be found in a whole range of yellow shades – from light yellow, orange-yellow to brownish-orange. Completely natural citrines mostly have a pale yellow, transparent, or translucent color, giving them an elegant, vitreous appearance. However, artificial citrines, which have a significant amount of red-orange hues, are associated with amber.
Citrine stone – application
Citrine has been used as a decorative gemstone since ancient Greece. Moreover, it is also used as a collector’s stone. However, due to its color and rarity, citrine stones are particularly valued in jewelry making. Citrines as gemstones are used to create jewelry such as rings, earrings, or pendants. Citrine looks very good in jewelry when combined with stones such as topaz, amethyst, or garnet. The price of citrine is mainly influenced by the quality of its color and the size of the stone. Stones with a weaker yellow hue are more common in nature, so their price is relatively lower, while stones with a uniform and intense color are rare, making them more expensive. Citrines are most commonly faceted to bring out their shine and internal reflections. Since citrine is an easy-to-process stone, you will find it in various shapes and sizes in our store. We have citrine cabochons and faceted citrine stones available in our online store.