Citrine

Citrine is the yellow to orange variety of quartz. Its warm color recalls topaz, but it is far cheaper. Natural citrine is rare: nearly all that is sold is heated amethyst.

Properties #

• Composition: silicon dioxide (quartz) with iron.
• Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale.
• Color: pale yellow to honey orange; Madeira is reddish.
• Origins: Brazil, Bolivia, Madagascar and Spain.
• Treatments: almost always heated amethyst or smoky quartz.

Uses in jewelry #

• Affordable rings, pendants and earrings.
• Alternative November birthstone to topaz.
• Cabochons and large cuts.

Pros and cons #

Advantages #

• Durable and inexpensive.
• Warm, luminous color.
• Cut in large sizes.

Limitations #

• Color can fade with extreme heat.
• Mistaken for topaz or glass.
• Natural stones are rare and costly.

Care and cleaning #

• Clean with lukewarm water and mild soap.
• Avoid intense heat and prolonged sunlight.
• Tolerates ultrasonic if it has no fractures.

See also #

• Gemstones in jewelry
• Quartz and its varieties
• Topaz