Specializing in fine American Arts & Crafts
Four Corners USA, Inc.
Citrine
Facts, Information and Description
Citrine is the traditional November birthstone, the Planetary stone for Virgo, and the accepted gem for the 13th and 17th wedding anniversaries
Citrine is any quartz crystal or cluster that is yellow or orange in color. Although often cut as a gemstone, citrine is actually somewhat rare in nature. Most citrines on the market have been heat treated. Specimens of low grade, inexpensive amethyst or smoky quartz are often cooked at high temperatures to produce the more profitable orange yellow citrine. Citrines whose colors have been produced by artificial means tend to have much more of an orange or reddish cast than those found in nature, which are usually a pale yellow. Much of the natural citrine may have started out as amethyst but heat from nearby magmatic bodies may have caused the change to citrine..
Interestingly, a popular gemstone on the market is a mixture of half amethyst and half citrine and is given the name ametrine. The manufacturer takes an amethyst stone and heats it, which converts it to citrine. He then bombards a portion of the stone with beta radiation which converts citrine back to amethyst. By using a metal mask (possibly in the shape of a heart) to block a portion of the beta radiation, an unusual citrine and amethyst gem is produced.
Unfortunately for citrine it is often confused with the more expensive orange-yellow topaz and is at times sold as topaz by unscrupulous dealers. This practice has soured many potential citrine fanciers who see citrine as a fake topaz and not as a legitimate gemstone. The finest citrine gemstones have a pure yellow color that cannot be duplicated by golden topaz, which will always have hues of orange or brown to darken the gem.
Citrine is a 7.0 on the Mohs scale. Sources of Citrine include Brazil, Bolivia, several African countries and parts of the Soviet Union.
Folklore, Legend and Healing Properties
Citrine has been called the "stone of the mind". Ancient cultures believed that placing a citrine on the forehead of an elder would increase his psychic power.
Citrine is known as the lucky "Merchants Stone". If you are in any type of sales, just put a citrine in the cash drawer and watch what happens.
Citrine is also used by healers to: increase self esteem; protect from the negative energy from someone else's abuse; open the mind to new thoughts; promote clarity of thought
Links
Catalog
Have Questions or Need Assistance? E-Mail CustomerService@FourCornersUSAonline.com
All Rights Reserved
