THE AMAZING CITRINE GEMSTONE
Published On: 11-29-2011 06:42pm
Comments: 2 - Hits: 291
Category: Gemstone Jargon
MaggieMays Fine Jewelry would like to share some informative information on the
Citrine Gemstone. I have
introduced this series of articles explaining terms of each individual
gemstone starting with citrine so that my reader's and customer's will
be able to quickly find out what a term means when speaking
about gemstones.
If you have any question's or are
unsure about any terms used please leave a comment or email (sunmist50@centurylink.net) me directly, and I will be happy to help.
Also, I have set up a blog category called
Gemstone Jargon; This is
where I will be posting
about different gemstone's information, characteristics, definitions and
much more. I hope you enjoy this post as much as I have had writing it
just for you!
Have you ever been asked to describe the color of
Citrine? If the answer is yes, then you have heard quite a variety of adjectives. The most common of these that I have encountered include straw colored, yellowish, and golden. There are a lot of others, but they really don't do justice to this beautiful gemstone that comes in a wider range of shades and hues than most consumers realize.
You might be familiar with the name
citrine, which many of you are; with its role as an alternate birthstone for November. However, I have come to find out that many of my reader's and customer's are not quite sure about the gemological facts. So here's a little background on this popular and marvelous gemstone.
References: Smithsonian Hand Book Gemstones, Gem Identification Made Easy by Antoinette Matlins, Colored Gemstones The Buying Guide by Antoinette Matlins, Jewelry&Gems The Buying Guide by Antoinette Matlins, In the Loupe Newsletter by JTV
Citrine is a macro-crystalline variety of the mineral quartz (SiO2). The macro prefix just means that the crystals are large enough to be seen by the eye. Quartz also comes in micro-crystalline varieties that are formed by aggregates of miniature crystals that cannot be seen by the human eye. Varieties are based on color, phenomenon, or a combination of the two.(A phenomenon, in case your wondering, is special optical property such as asterism {star effect} or color change). Quartz varieties like amethyst, prasiolite, and ametrine are relatives of Citrine.
Citrine is found naturally, but most of your citrine gemstones in the trade are produced by heat treating its close cousin amethyst. Transformation in color occurs when trace amounts of iron are changed in valence. Color tends to be yellow to orange, bordering on brown due to saturation and tone. One variety, however, that comes with an additional descriptor -
Madeira. This material exhibits a rich, reddish-orange color that is highly prized by collectors and designers.
This is part one of two on "
The Amazing Citrine Gemstone". If interested, you can read part two which covers "
The Buying of Citrine". This will cover how to buy your gemstone's, shapes, sizes, and what to look for before purchasing.
Happy Holidays!
Marge
By MaggieMays on 12/03/2011 @ 02:58pm
I will be writing more on the different gemstone's in the near future. For your convenience, I have added some links that will make it easier for you to find pictures, my email, and other posts. Just click on the wording highlighted and underlined in Blue. I hope this give's you a little more information when purchasing your gemstone's. Remember, I am here if you have any type of questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.