Citrine
The warmest stone in the quartz family, and one of the very few yellows available clean and large without a serious price.
About Citrine
Citrine is quartz colored yellow to orange by traces of iron. Genuinely natural citrine is uncommon; most material on the market is amethyst that has been heated, which converts the purple to yellow-orange permanently. The treatment is stable, universal and generally disclosed as standard practice.
The color range runs from a pale lemon through golden honey to the deep reddish-brown called madeira, historically the most valued. Bolivian material sometimes occurs alongside amethyst in the same crystal, producing ametrine — a stone split between purple and gold.
At 7 on the Mohs scale with no cleavage, citrine is practical for everyday wear and available in large clean sizes, which makes it a natural choice for statement pieces where a comparable size in a rarer stone would be out of reach.
Why Sharon works with citrine
Sharon uses citrine crystals and faceted beads in necklaces where she wants warmth and light without weight, and she likes it against sterling as much as against gold — the contrast keeps it from reading too soft.
Caring for citrine
Warm soapy water and a soft brush. Avoid prolonged strong sunlight and high heat, which can affect color over time.
Common questions about citrine
Is citrine just heated amethyst?
Most of it is. Natural citrine exists but is uncommon. The heat treatment is permanent and stable, and it is normal practice throughout the trade.
What is ametrine?
Ametrine is a single quartz crystal showing both amethyst purple and citrine gold, formed where conditions changed during growth. Nearly all of it comes from the Anahí mine in Bolivia.
Citrine jewelry by Sharon Teaman
Each piece is one of a kind and made by hand in State College, Pennsylvania.
Citrine pieces Sharon has made before
Sold, but a good indication of what is possible. Any of these can be a starting point for a commission.
Commission a citrine piece
Tell Sharon the color, the shape or the budget you have in mind. She sources citrine year round and will find the right stone before a single sketch is made.