November’s Alternate Birthstone: Citrine
Where is Citrine Mined?
Citrine is actually in the quartz family of stones and isn’t mined anywhere near Gilbert, Arizona. It’s signature yellow to orange color is something we can all appreciate though, especially during the Fall season! Citrine is rare in a natural state but is found in a few regions throughout the world including Bolivia, Spain, Uruguay and our neighbor to the south, Mexico. Some citrine is the result of heat treated amethyst and most of those stones come from Brazil.
Brief Citrine Background
Thousands of years ago, before scientific advances and chemistry could tell us the exact composition of gemstones, citrine was often mistaken for its co-birthstone, topaz. Now that ancient jewelry pieces have been tested to identify their gems, it turns out citrine dates back to ancient Roman jewelry! Its golden color led ancient people to believe it was a gift from the sun and that it also protected the wearer from evil thoughts. Derived from the word ‘citron’ which is French for lemon, citrine spiked in popularity during the Victorian era and can be seen as the large focal point in many Scottish jewelry pieces. This gemstone’s durability and lovely color have made it the current top selling yellow to orange gem.
The Color Range of Citrine
Color of Citrine: Yellow or Orange
Variations on Color: transparent yellow to brownish orange
Birthstone Month: November
Wedding Anniversary Year: 13
Consider yourself lucky if you were born in November because you can choose from two very beautiful birthstones, topaz or citrine. These amazing gems will allow you to pick from a wide range of colors too. The yellow and orange earthy tones of citrine make it the perfect alternate birthstone for this Fall month! If you have any questions about how to care for your birthstone jewelry or which birthstones to choose from, don’t hesitate to call or come by our Gilbert showroom.