GEM TALK ON CITRINE - BIRTHSTONE FOR NOVEMBER
While shopping for Citrine, the factors to consider are:
- COLOR – the finest citrine colors are saturated, with little or no brownish component, and range from yellow to reddish orange, free of brownish tints
- CLARITY – simple rule is ‘eye-clean’ clarity which means if an inclusion is visible to the naked eye then the citrine is of low value
- SIZE – there is no significant different in price for large stone vs smaller ones, especially for stones up to 20cts as they are readily available
- CUT – as citrine are usually available in large sizes, they tend to be available in fancy shapes or cuts.
- NATURAL Citrine – this is very rare to find as now there are more treated citrines than natural.
Citrine ranks 7 on the Mohs scale & although it is considered to be a hard gem, you must be careful to avoid getting it hit or scratched.
- Store your citrine jewelry separately in a soft cloth & away from other jewelry in order to avoid the stones from getting scratched
- Exposure to high heat is not recommended, as it may alter color and sudden temperature changes may cause fracturing or internal cracks.
- Citrine is best cleaned with lukewarm water with mild soap or detergent. Just light brush it with a soft toothbrush, rinse and wipe. I recommend doing this at the table as your jewelry can slip from your hands over the sink.
- Although citrine can be cleaned in ultrasonic cleaners, do not clean them in a steam cleaner as they are sensitive to heat & this may damage your stone.
- Avoid wearing your citrine jewelry while sunbathing or leaving it in the sun