November Birthstone

Its November again, and beautiful crisp weather perfect for long walks in the Autumn sunshine....and a golden birthstone to match those turning leaves.

Citrine is a member of the macro-crystalline quartz group of minerals and and ranges in colour from light yellow to golden brown. Names such as Brandy or Madeira Citrine are used for the darker varieties.The name 'Citrine' is derived from the French 'citron' meaning lemon. From the middle of the 18th Century, many Amethyst and Smoky Quartz were subject to heat treatment as it was found that the purple and brown would disappear and be replaced by yellow. Today heat treatment of these stones is completely accepted in the trade and most Citrines on the market are heat treated. Natural Citrine is very rare and is usually a pale yellow colour. Citrine has a hardness of 7 on the Moh's scale.

Citrine occurs in igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, and is found in Brazil, Spain, France, Russia, Scotland and the USA.

For a very long time Citrine has been considered to have magical powers. it was thought to protect against the plague, snake and spider bites and evil people. It was also thought to improve the functioning of some organs sunch as the liver, heart, kidneys and digestive system. Given as a present Citrine is a symbol of hope and strength.

We have a limited collection of some really beautiful faceted citrine pendants in the new stock ranging between £45-75, give us a call on 01373 745588 quoting your nearest shop to reserve one. Or for something a little more different check out the stunning unique Maharani rings online. Although if you are buying something for me the I think the juicy Francesca earrings (above) are really beautiful.