Showing posts with label citrine bracelet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label citrine bracelet. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The November Birthstone: Citrine


I'm very fond of citrine, the gemstone ranging from a pale yellow to a dark orange. First, I just love the colour yellow; second, citrine is an extremely versatile gemstone that looks great with many different colours. I wear it often with black because I like the contrast of the yellow against dark colours. I like a neutral colour that I call champagne or sand - it's a version of khaki almost, but with golden tones instead of brown - Anne Klein calls it safari. A paler citrine is gorgeous with it. In the summer, nothing looks fresher than citrine bracelets and necklaces paired with white linen or cotton.
Citrine is a variety of quartz with a moh's hardness of 7, a relatively durable stone although it can be scratched, and prolonged exposure to heat and sunlight will change its colour .
Citrine is believed to have many mystical qualities. It is known as the "money" stone or "merchant's" stone; some merchants will put a citrine in their cash registers to draw money to them. The ancients believed that putting a citrine on the forehead would increase psychic powers, and it supposedly will increase memory, aid in curing depression and diabetes, and foster creative expression, especially for writers.
The citrine's name comes from the French word for lemon, citron. The yellow colour is from the presence of iron. Ironically, if you own a citrine, you probably also own an amethyst! This is because the natural citrine is rather rare and most today are made by exposing an amethyst or smoky quartz to high heat to turn it into a citrine. You will be able to find the citrine bracelets on this page on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website at Citrine Bracelets.
Happy Birthday, November!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

The New Fall Collection - Part II


The following jewelry pieces feature gemstones in colours that are based on Pantone's colour guide (Pantone produces the dyes that are used by the fashion world, so that they are the true forecaster of the hottest colours). Above, the double strand bracelet has three of the season's hottest colours: olivine (in Swarovski crystals); majolica (kyanite); grey (rutilated quartz). The second strand is a type of bangle accented only by the Swarovski crystals.
Below, more rutilated quartz celebrates another big trend for Fall: the chunky necklace. The large, flat faceted nuggets (over an inch long) are primarily grey with touches of tan/brown. Each nugget is over an inch in length.
Citrine is always a favorite stone, and one of Fall's newest colours is honey yellow. With its range of colours from pale yellow to a deep golden colour, citrine can add a touch of this year's colour to an older outfit or blend with a new one.

Below, this unique bracelet has quartz (creme brulee), chalcedony (majolica), and carnelian (American Beauty) for a blend of colours exceedingly versatile. The next bracelet has chalcedony and yellow opal (majolica and honey yellow), and the bottom bracelet of African opal and vermeil will go equally well with both the off-white creme brulee and a neutral colour called nougat that is a pale taupe.


More tomorrow!