Citrine looks like sunshine captured in a stone, so it's no surprise its legends are full of warmth, luck and happiness. Here are our favorite stories about this golden gem. Follow the links to read the full tales.
☀️ The Merchant's Stone
In folk tradition, shopkeepers kept a citrine in their cash drawer to bring success. Our tale tells of an old French Quarter merchant who thanked his little golden stone every night for forty years.
👉 Read the full tale: The Merchant's Stone
🍋 The Lemon Stone
Citrine's name comes from the French citron, meaning lemon. It's a golden variety of quartz, and in ancient Greece and Rome, yellow quartz was carved into beautiful engraved gems and seals. Many people believed it carried the warmth and energy of the sun.
🏴 Scotch Topaz and a Queen's Highlands
In the 1800s, citrine was often sold as "Scotch topaz" or "Madeira topaz," even though it isn't topaz at all. Queen Victoria adored the Scottish Highlands, and Scottish-style jewelry became the height of fashion: brooches, kilt pins and the handles of ceremonial daggers set with big golden citrines and colorful agates.
🎬 Hollywood Gold
In the 1930s and '40s, the stars of Hollywood's golden age wore enormous citrine cocktail rings and brooches in rose and yellow gold. Big, bold and glowing, they were perfect for the glamour of the silver screen, and they're some of the most fun vintage pieces you can find today.
👸 The Princess's Dowry
In Bolivia there's a legend about a rare gem that's half golden citrine and half purple amethyst, called ametrine. The story says that in the 1600s a princess named Anahí married a Spanish conquistador, and her dowry was the mine where these two-colored stones were found. To this day, the mine is known as the Anahí mine.
🔥 A Secret of the Fire
Here's a true secret: natural citrine is quite rare. Much of the citrine sold today began as amethyst, which turns golden when it's gently heated. So the purple February birthstone and the golden November birthstone are really close cousins.
💛 What Citrine Means
Joy & optimism
Abundance & prosperity
Warmth & confidence
Citrine is a November birthstone, a gift of sunshine as the days grow shorter, and the traditional gift for a 13th anniversary.
✨ Final Thoughts
A vintage citrine is a little piece of sunshine that never sets. Give one to someone starting a new business, a new job or a new chapter, and you give them a wish for bright days ahead.
Thinking of buying citrine? Read our Citrine Jewelry Guide first.
🛍️ Find Your Citrine
Explore vintage and antique citrine jewelry at 322 Royal Street or online.
