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I am quartz. In my
abundance. I am found in every corner of the earth. In my purest form,
I am colorless, but I am most prized for my purple and golden varieties.
As a purple gemstone, I am known as Amethyst, and I was treasured by the
Roman gods as a talisman to ward off the intoxicating powers of Bacchus.
In my golden form, Citrine, the ancients revered me as a gift of the sun
and a powerful antidote to the viper's venom.
Amethyst, the traditional birthstone for the month of February, is available
in small and large sizes, although as with all gemstones, very large sizes
in rich, deep colors have always been rare. Designers celebrate Amethyst
as the ideal choice for jewelry because of its regal color, variety of
sizes and shapes, affordability, and wide tonal range, from light to dark
purple.
Citrine, derived from the French word for lemon, in all of its glorious
golden and yellow colors, is the most affordable of all of the earth-toned
gemstones and is the alternate birthstone for November.
Occasionally, Mother Nature combines the colors of Amethyst and Citrine
into a single exciting gemstone we call Ametrine.
While Brazil is the primary source of these three gemstones, both Amethyst
and Citrine are found in other locales, Zambia being a significant source
for Amethyst.
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Amethyst and Citrine are gemstone varieties of Quartz. Artifacts from
ancient cultures the world over attest to Amethyst's and Citrine's place
in our collective cultural heritage. The royal purples of Amethyst and
the occasional bright, golden hues of Citrine were treasured possessions
of emperors, kings and queens throughout recorded history. No jewelry
collection will be complete without these fine treasures of nature.
Darker hues of Amethyst are rarely enhanced, but sometimes if they are
too dark, they are heated to lighten the color. Brownish varieties are
commonly heated and magically turn into the bright yellow or orange colors
known as Citrine. This enhancement method is permanent and will last for
the life of the gemstones.
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