November 1st 2015 12:20 pm | by Gemme Couture | Posted in Blog
This bright shining gem has said to be a gift from the sun and is known as the “healing quartz”. This golden gemstone is said to support vitality and health while encouraging and guiding hope, energy and warmth within the wearer. In ancient times, Citrine was carried as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts. Today, Citrine is known as the merchant’s stone and is associated with success and prosperity. The name Citrine, which is French for “lemon”, fits well with its color range of juicy lemon yellow to a bright orangey brown. Citrine can be found in a variety of shades ranging from pastel yellow to dark brownish orange. It is one of the most affordable of gemstones and plentiful in nature. Most people choose a Citrine based on their personal preference, but some of the most sought-after Citrine gemstones have a clear, radiant yellowish to brownish red color. Citrine is one of the most popular and affordable gemstones and is found most frequently in Brazil, Bolivia, and Spain. It is relatively plentiful and available in a wide range of sizes and shapes, including very large sizes.
Rough Citrine and Citrine Gemstones
Topaz is a gemstone available in a rich rainbow of colors, in shades of yellow, brown, honey, green, blue, red, pink and sometimes no color at all, Topaz has a mass appeal. Topaz is often found in an amber gold, yellow, or a blushing pink orange but a pale pink or a sherry red Topaz is very exceptional. Topaz with a naturally blue color is very rare. The ancient Egyptians and Romans associated this golden gem with the sun god giving it the power to protect and heal. Legend says that topaz dispels enchantment. The most prized color of Topaz is called Imperial Topaz after the Russian Czars of the 1800s and features a magnificent orange with pink undertones. Prized for several thousand years in antiquity, all yellow gems in antiquity were called topaz. Often confused with citrine quartz (yellow) and smoky quartz (brown), quartz and topaz are separate and unrelated mineral species.
Multi-Color Topaz and London Blue Topaz
Blue, once the most rare color of Topaz, is the most common today due to man’s ability to enhance its color. Blue topaz can be found in both lighter and darker tones, usually known in the trade as sky blue topaz, Swiss Blue Topaz and London Blue Topaz. As in the case of other blue gems, the more saturated blues tend to have a higher value. So in topaz it is the London Blue that usually regarded as the most valuable. London Blue Topaz is a medium to dark grayish blue, sometimes described as “steely” or “inky”.
Gemme Couture jewelry with Citrine and London Blue Topaz
