The November birthstone is a standout that demands attention with its golden hues. But aside from the citrine color, what else should you look at when buying the gemstone? Get to know November’s birthstone, the citrine gemstone, with our buying guide breakdown.
The transparent citrine stone is named after the French word for “lemon” because of its vibrant yellow color. The breathtaking gemstone is a must-have in your jewelry collection whether you are a November baby or not.
When making a citrine stone purchase, there are five things you should ask yourself:
- Is it a good citrine color?
- Is it a natural citrine stone?
- What is the citrine’s quality?
- What is the citrine price?
- What type of citrine jewelry works best?
Les Olson Jewelers breaks down each of the citrine gemstone aspects to help you make an informed decision on your purchase on November’s birthstone.
Citrine Color
The citrine birthstone is the perfect color for November. The color ranges from yellow to orangy yellow to reddish orange, so it beautifully matches the falling leaves in autumn.
When looking to buy the November birthstone, you want to look for bold yellow. The finest citrine colors are saturated. The citrine color should have little to no brownish color to it.
Some other popular citrine color options to consider when you shop:
- GOLDEN CITRINE: This rightfully name citrine color shows more warmth in its golden yellow color.
- MADEIRA CITRINE: If you want to lean more toward the orange and red hues of fall, consider this citrine color. The madeira citrine is brownish-red to orange-red.
- PALMEIRA CITRINE: This citrine color brings some spice with its bright orange color.
- YELLOW CITRINE: Also called “lemon citrine” or “lemon quartz,” this citrine color has the bright lemon yellow people look for.
Natural Citrine
The citrine gemstone is a quartz stone. While quartz comes naturally in many colors, yellow hues of the stone are fairly rare. Therefore, most citrines sold are actually light purple amethysts that are heat treated to match the golden hues of a citrine. So, a natural citrine will be a little more difficult to come by and have a higher price tag.
There are also synthetic citrine options. When they’re grown in laboratories, they typically start as a synthetic amethyst and then are treated to create a synthetic citrine quartz.
Citrine Quality
Of course, when you’re buying a citrine gemstone, you want to make sure what you’re getting is quality. You want to look for eye-clean citrine stones. This means the citrine gemstone is clean of inclusions with the naked eye.
Citrine Price
Like most gems, the citrine price can vary based on a few factors. But what exactly can drive the citrine price?
- NATURAL CITRINE VS HEAT TREATED: The natural citrine is priced more because of its rarity compared to the heat-treated citrine.
- CITRINE COLOR: The bolder and more saturated the yellow typically brings a higher price tag.
- CITRINE SIZE: Unlike a diamond, the citrine stone is not priced significantly more per carat in large sizes than it is in smaller sizes.
- CITRINE QUALITY: The citrine gemstone can often be found with no visible inclusions. So, the price should not be significantly more for eye-clean citrines.
Citrine Jewelry
Make sure you’re getting the best piece when shopping for your citrine jewelry. If you want to go bold, the citrine gemstone is perfect with its yellow tones. Especially since the price per carat doesn’t change drastically the larger the gemstone, it allows you to go bigger.
The citrine stone is a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness. This allows the November birthstone to be great in almost any type of setting. The gem can chip so be careful when wearing it as a ring. We may advise against wearing a citrine as an everyday ring if you are super active with your hands.
As well as being November’s birthstone, the citrine stone is the 13th anniversary gemstone. While not typically a “big” anniversary date, it is still worth celebrating nonetheless with a stunning piece of citrine jewelry.
If you’re looking for citrine jewelry in Palm Harbor, make sure to work with us at Les Olson Jewelers. Our multiple gemologists can help you pick out the perfect citrine gemstone for your custom piece. Or shop our current collection of citrine jewelry on our site. Either way, we are here to help you!
Still looking to learn more about November’s birthstone, the citrine? Checkout our November Birthstone blog to find out more about the citrine origin and fun folklore!
