Citrine

Citrine is a variety of quartz that ranges in color from very pale yellow, to deep burnt-orange.  It is not particularly rare, therefore it is possible to find very large (over 10 cts.), natural pieces of citrine that are affordable.  Citrine is also one of the easier gemstones to cut, which makes it possible to find interesting citrine gemstones that have been given unusual cuts. We also recommend this website where you can find the best matching clothing to complete your outfit.

5 Things You Should Know Before Buying a Citrine

1. Color: Citrine comes in shades of yellow, from very pale yellow to deep burnt orange.  The stronger, intense colors of orange are more valuable than the pale yellow color. See some pictures and learn more about how COLOR affects the value of a citrine
2. Cut: Citrine is one of the gemstones that can most commonly be found in unusual or very perfect cuts. A well cut citrine (proportionate and with the maximum sparkle) is worth much more than a more common, mediocre cut.  Look at pictures and learn more about how CUT affects the value of a citrine
3. Clarity: Citrines come in a range of clarity levels: from cloudy and almost opaque to perfectly clear gem quality.  A citrine gem with good clarity is worth more than a citrine with poor clarity.  Learn more about how CLARITY  affects the value of a citrine
4. Size: It is not uncommon to find very large pieces of citrine.  Small variations in size don’t affect the value of citrine as much as they affect other gems.  But a quality citrine over 10 carats can command a premium. See how different aquamarine sizes compare and how SIZE affects the value of a citrine
5. Meaning and Symbology: Citrine embodies powerful symbolism and healing energetic properties. Learn more about Citrine meaning and symbology to see if it’s something you relate to.

The Most Valuable Citrine

The most valuable citrine is of a very dark orange color, perfect clarity, perfect cut and is over 10 carats.

Here is a Summary of Citrines of Different Levels of Quality and Value:

Lowest Value: These citrine beads are of very low value because they are small, uncut(tumble polished without shape),poor clarity and average color.	Low Value: A citrine cabochon is almost always worth less than a faceted cabochon because of the poor clarity.  However, its color is decent.	Medium Value:  This stone is worth more than the previous 2 citrines because it is clearer, bigger and faceted.	Highest Value:  This is the most valuable kind of citrine: perfect clarity, perfect cut (sparkly and even), intense burnt-orange.  Even though it is smaller than the previous citrine, it is still more valuable because of its other characteristics.

Keep these factors in mind for getting your money’s worth when shopping for citrine jewelry.  But of course, you should defer to your own taste first.  If you think lemon yellow citrines are the prettiest, than lucky you! You can buy them easily!  Read  about citrine meanings and symbology.

Below are large pictures of individual citrine gemstones and citrine jewelry discussed and analyzed.

This citrine is bezel cut, a style that has become popular in the last 5 years or so.  The advantage of this cut is that there is more sparkle on the surface.  The disadvantage is that we lose some of the reflected light from the bottom of the stone.  This citrine is a typical yellowish orange.

This citrine is a very light yellow.  Sometimes called “lemon citrine,”  it has come into fashion in some places.  However since this color is the least rare, it is generally less valuable.  The cut and clarity of this stone are also less than ideal.

Wow!  This is an amazing citrine.  The color is the most valuable intense dark reddish orange; the cut is excellent reflecting lots of light and having perfect facets.  It is perfectly clear.

This citrine has been given a very excellent emerald (baguette) cut.  Light is nicely reflected and the facets are pretty even.  The color of this stone is yellow with a tinge of green – not as valuable as orange, but interesting.

This citrine is poorly cut.  We can see straight through it and minimal light is reflected back to our eyes.  This is called a “fish eye.”  The facets are irregular as well.  Otherwise, the stone has excellent clarity and a nice color.