10 "Scary" Fun Facts You Didn't Know About November's Birthstone (Citrine)

Halloween is fun time to celebrate the color orange, and a perfect opportunity to introduce one of our favorite gemstones, citrine!

Not only is citrine the go-to gemstone for the November birthday, it holds sophistication that you just don't see everyday. Citrine, with its rich deep golden hue, feels warm and looks elegant. But, this beautiful gemstone has been ignored over the years for one reason or another.

We're here to show you why citrine should not be ignored with these "scary" fun facts that we think everyone should know about this sophisticated stone.

What does citrine look like?

Having such a beautiful golden color, it makes sense to have it set in yellow gold. When it is, it almost becomes one with the metal and magically adorns the wearer. When citrine is set in white gold or platinum, suddenly a crisp and contemporary look is achieved.

We bet you didn't know...

1. Citrine is a transparent variety of quartz, the second most abundant mineral in the Earth.

2. Citrine is associated with the values of hope, strength, cheerfulness, youth, health, and fidelity. It has been believed to promote creativity, helps personal clarity and eliminates self-destructive tendencies.

3. The name citrine comes from an old French word "citrin," meaning lemon. As one of the more rare forms of quartz, this gemstone ranges in color from the palest yellow to a dark amber.

4. The Romans were thought to be the first to wear the yellow quartz, crafting it into highly polished but unfaceted cuts of stone known as cabachon.

5. Citrine became more popular during the Romantic Period which was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the 18th century.

6. According to Chinese legends, citrine is "The Stone of Success," and it should be given to generous people only. Citrine jewelry was deeply appreciated by ancient Chinese emperors for their ability to increase intellectual capabilities and broaden the mind. Today, citrine is used by modern Chinese students to help them succeed on exams. Many Chinese professors and teachers also use it when lecturing. Citrine is widely used in China during gem stone healing sessions to produce feelings and emotions and thoughts of abundance.

7. Citrine, like all forms of quartz, was believed during the European Early Modern Period to have magical powers and was worn as a talisman against evil thoughts and snake venom.

8. Most citrine is mined in Brazil. Small quantities of citrine are found in Russia, Colorado, Madagascar, Bolivia, Burma (Myanmar), Canada, Sri Lanka, Spain, and U.S.

9. Citrine is attributed with two divine deities: Demeter, the Greek goddess of harvest who is associated with productivity and Sekhmet, the Egyptian goddess of war who is associated with power.

10. Citrine has a Mohs Scale Hardness of 7, meaning it is not easily scratched and is durable enough to avoid scratching and chipping during daily wear.