Citrine, November’s birthstone, is the yellow variety of quartz, colored by a trace of iron. Citrine crystals can form together with amethyst or smoky quartz to form a bi-colored quartz called ametrine.   Natural citrine can be found in Brazil, Russia, France, and Madagascar.  The finest color gems come from Madeira, Brazil. The most desirable citrines display a reddish-orange color free of any brown tones. When not heat-treated to enhance their color, natural citrines are often a deep, honey gold.  Treated stones can be dark orange-brown to reddish-brown.

Citrine is said to bring wealth into the house and alleviate nightmares if placed under the pillow. The sunny yellow stone can be worn to instantly lift a mood. It is the most popular yellow gemstone on the market today because of its affordable price tag and availability in almost any size and shape. It was extremely popular in the Retro jewelry period of the ‘30’s and 40’s, where large stones were often set in rose gold and accented with small rubies.