Fire Citrine®

Citrine has been a part of the gem kingdom for centuries and a member of the quartz family. Fire Citrine®, a very deep red-orange color: has been available for a shorter period of time and is one of the richest colors of the Citrine Family.

Can you tell us a little about the source of this material?

This rare orange-red citrine is mined only at the Linha Estefania mine, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande de Sol. The mine was first discovered in the 1960s. A road cuts up the rock face, connecting several large tunnels only a few yards apart, each about the width of a Volkswagen. In these tunnels, the citrine crystals are found in open pockets, or vugs, in the rock, which are entirely lined with glittering citrine crystals. The vugs range from the size of a pea to the size of a ping-pong ball.

What kinds of sizes, shapes and cutting styles can be found?

We offer all kinds of shapes and sizes of Fire Citrine®; small melee sizes to large dramatic stones. We cut in traditional ovals, cushions, checkerboard cuts, rounds, trillions, and princess cuts. We also offer some creative cuts such as ‘reverse’ trillions, our signature GeoCuts™ or even a Radial Snowflake! One of our favorite ways to cut Fire Citrine® is into various Radial Cuts™, which is a cutting style with uniquely curved facets that focus light like lenses to create added brilliance to the gem.

Is this material typically enhanced in any way?

Fire Citrine® crystals tend to display a pinkish-red color when first exposed. It is common to heat the crystals before cutting to intensify the fiery orange color. Heat treating is stable, routine, and does not require special care, but knowing your supplier with heat treatment can be important. At Columbia Gem House, we have an in-house heat treatment process that we do ourselves. This means we can guarantee the treatment is heat-only. We also never use any foreign materials, like beryllium which would diffuse into the natural gems and create drastic color changes.

What are the gem specs of this material? How do we know if it is authentic?

The material we source at Columbia Gem House is backed with our Gem Trust guarantee. This means you know it’s an authentic gemstone and that we will share all available information with you. You can find additional gem specifications below:

Gem Type

Fire Citrine®

Fair Trade Level

Origin

South America

Location

Brazil

Color

Deep red-orange

Treatment

Heat-Only

Hardness (Mohs Scale)

How do I care for my gemstone?

Citrine is very durable but try to avoid direct impact to the gemstone. Clean with warm water, detergent, and a soft brush. Fire Citrine® can be put in ultrasonic or steam cleaners.

What can you tell us beyond the facets? I want to know more…

In ancient times, citrine was carried as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts. Named from the French name for lemon, citron, most citrines have a light lemony color. Less than one-half of one percent of all citrine has the rich and rare color and quality of Fire Citrine®. Modern legend has it that Brazilian gem prospectors had been searching the deposit location for more than a year with no luck. Just as they were ready to give up, a small hummingbird flew up the hillside landing on an exposed rock face. Seeing this as a sign, one of the prospectors took out his pocketknife and picked at the rock where the hummingbird landed - revealing the beautiful Citrine we offer today.