Citrine is a form of quartz stone that is normally ranges from shade of brown to yellow & happens to be the most valuable of available quartz gemstones. It is commonly used gemstone is necklaces & rings setting. Citrine is a combination of quartz & ferric iron; it can also be manufactured artificially from other gemstones. How Citrine forms
In natural conditions, it is of yellow or orange in color & is of lighter shade in comparison to heat-treated stones which turn orange-brown or reddish-brown. Mostly the citrines sold to public are amethysts which have been heat treated. Sometimes the crystals in amethyst deposits by natural means of heating are change to citrine minerals of brown variety. Citrine is also produced by heat treatment of smoky quartz.
Chemical Composition
Chemical composition of Citrine is silicon dioxide & has a hexagonal structure, visible as clusters of pyramids based on a geode. The crystals can be translucent or transparent but the basal cleavage is indiscernible with specific gravity of 2.6-2.7.
History & Availability
Citrine is commonly found in
In ancient times it was used as an amulet for protecting the wearer from evil thoughts & snake’s venom. It is also one of the two birthstones for the month of November.
Naturally occurring Citrines
Naturally, citrines are usually pale yellow but specimens which are heated have reddish or orange shades. Normally Citrine starts out as amethyst then changes to Citrine because of heat emission by magnetic bodies. The Citrine can be changed back to a purple shade using the process of beta radiation.
Citrine is very popularly used in jewelry creation. Its vivid colors, lightness, transparency add to its popularity. They look best when hung free like drops in earrings rather than being set in-between. Go ahead pick those glistening citrine jewelry and add sparkle to your jewelry collection.