Buying citrine: What should I look for?

When buying gemstones, you should always make sure that the full name and the place where they were found. In addition, the crystals should be naturally grown. If you want to be on the safe side, when buying minerals – whether online on the Internet or in a specialty store – it is best to turn to dealers who are registered in the DMF e.V..

• Pay attention to full name and place of discovery
• Purchase online or in a specialty store
• Dealers should be registered with DMF e.V.

Value of the gemstone: investment citrine

There is no exponential increase in value per carat as size increases, as larger sizes are readily available. Inclusions decrease the value. As with any gem material, the value increases when cut to size. With many fancifully cut or carved specimens, most of the value is due to the artistry of the cut.

The price of citrine per carat can range from $10 to $30. Although the overall cost of citrine rings, wedding bands and engagement rings can have a wide price range due to the color, clarity and cut of the stone. The carat size of the gemstone does not greatly affect the price.Custom cut citrine gemstones that maximize the brilliance and color of the stones are priced at higher prices, as are stones that are free of any flaws or inclusions.

The most highly valued citrine color is a deep reddish orange, valued at about $30 per carat and most commonly found in Brazil – gems of this color are sometimes called fire citrine. The lighter varieties of pale yellow citrine color, often found in Bolivia, have a lower value of about $10 per carat.

• No exponential increase in value per carat
• Value increases with dimensional grinding
• 10-30 dollars per carat
• Deep red-orange citrines are most valuable

Genuine citrine: the rare yellow gemstone

Citrine is rare in nature. In the days before modern gemology, it was mistaken for topaz because of its yellow-brown color. Today, it is the best-selling yellow-orange gemstone because of its attractive color and the durability and affordability it shares with most other quartz. In today’s market, the most popular shade of citrine is an earthy, deep brownish or reddish orange.

Like all quartz, citrine is composed of silicon and oxygen atoms arranged in a tetrahedral pattern, essentially a triangular pyramid. Citrine is found in many places, including France, the UK, Russia, Madagascar, Burma, Spain, the US and Brazil. But the crystal – and its supposed healing powers – go back centuries, to the time of the ancient Greeks.

• The best selling yellow-orange gemstone
• Most popular shade: earthy, deep, brownish or reddish orange.
• Consists of silicon and oxygen atoms

Origin of the citrine: South America, Asia & Europe

The crystal is mined in South America and Asia, but also in Europe. Large mining areas are found in Brazil and in Russia. Citrine, like most other quartz crystals, forms predominantly magmatically in pegmatite with granitic composition. Natural citrines are very rare and pale yellow with slight pleochroism. This means that the stone shows a different coloration in different light. Most citrines found in the trade are orange-yellow burnt amethysts.

• Mining in South America, Asia and Europe
• Formation magmatic in pegmatite with granitic composition
• Different colouring in different light

Citrine: how durable is the gemstone?

Citrine has a hardness grade of 7, which makes it a rather soft gemstone. It can be easily scratched if it is bumped or rubbed against other objects. However, citrine has very good toughness, which means that it will not chip or break easily.

If cared for, citrine can last a very long time. While ideal for pendants and earrings, citrine is not the best gemstone for rings or bracelets of daily use, as they are subject to high stress.

• Hardness grade 7
• Scratches easily
• Good toughness

Cleaning and care of citrines

Caring for your citrine is an important thing to read up on, as improper care can cause the stone to become dull and lose value. The best way to clean the stone is to simply use a small soft bristled toothbrush, a small amount of a mild liquid soap and lukewarm water. Gently scrub the stone and the base with the brush and soap and rinse thoroughly.

If you feel that your stone is still dirty or just not shining as vividly as you would like, visit a jewelry store where you can have the stone professionally cleaned. Another good tip to preserve the value of the stone is to keep it separate from your other gemstones.

This will prevent citrine from scratching softer gemstones like pearls or opals and from being scratched by harder gemstones like sapphires or diamonds. When you store citrine, wrap it in a cloth or jewelry box. This will keep it free from dust. Also, keep citrine away from chemicals such as harsh cleaners, bleach, and cosmetics.

• Improper care leads to loss of value
• Jewellery shops clean citrines
• Storage in a cloth or jewellery box

Natural Citrines vs. Burnt Amethysts: Video

This video shows the differences between natural citrines and fired amethysts.

Citrine Jewellery: Chain, Ring & Pendant

The citrine is not only very popular as a healing stone, but is also used as a gemstone. Due to its transparency, the citrine usually receives a faceted cut. As a gemstone it is often used in necklaces, rings and earrings. The citrine is of high quality and looks elegant when worn as jewelry. Especially as an engagement ring or anniversary gift, rings with citrine are often used. Those who have a birthday in November are also happy about jewelry with your birthstone as a lucky charm.

Citrine is popularly used as a gemstone because it has spiritual significance in addition to an extraordinary appearance. It cleanses the chakras, opens intuition and attracts wealth, prosperity and success. The citrine and topaz also form the birthstones of November. When worn on the body, it has an emotionally balancing effect and releases mental, physical and spiritual blockages.

• Often faceted cut
• Chains, rings and earrings
• Engagement Ring, Anniversary Gift, Birthday Gift
• Spiritual meaning
• Birthstone of November
• Has an emotionally balancing effect

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual: the Rolex for beginners

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual is now an absolute classic, with a simple and timeless design. It is considered the perfect watch for Rolex “newcomers”. According to Rolex, it is the epitome of the classic Oyster and is also quite affordable by Rolex standards, although it still offers many technical refinements. Since this model is available in different case sizes, the Oyster Perpetual is suitable for both men and women.

The watches are in the direct tradition of the original Oyster, the world’s first water-resistant wristwatch, which established the Rolex brand’s reputation in 1926. They feature all the basic attributes of the Oyster Perpetual collection: chronometric precision, water-resistant Oyster case and automatic self-winding movement with perpetual rotor. With hour, minute and second indications and exclusively in Oystersteel stainless steel, they represent the wristwatch chronometer in its purest form. The anti-reflective coating on the back of the new generation Oyster Perpetual sapphire crystal ensures optimal readability of the dial.

Prices

The Oyster Perpetual from Rolex is one of the most affordable models in the Rolex family. Usually the price is between 4.500€ and 5.500€. Of course, special requests or custom-made products can exceed this price range.

• Oyster Perpetual 28mm Oystersteel: 4.600€
• Oyster Perpetual 31mm Oystersteel, yellow dial: 4.700€
• Oyster Perpetual 34mm Oystersteel, blue dial: 4.750€
• Oyster Perpetual 36mm Oystersteel, pink dial: 5.050€
• Oyster Perpetual 41mm Oystersteel, turquoise blue dial: 5.350€

Design

The Oyster Perpetual is considered the classic and mother of Rolex watches. In contrast to younger models such as the Daytona, the Oyster Perpetual is somewhat more limited in terms of design possibilities. It is available (except on special request) exclusively in Oystersteel stainless steel, alloys such as gold or platinum are not offered. However, the dial is available in several colors and the case can have a size between 28-41mm, just as you like it.

Design choices

• Housing: 28mm, 31mm, 34mm, 36mm, 41mm
• Dial: Light, dark, colored (yellow, blue, turquoise, pink, red, green)
• Material: always Oystersteel
• Bracelet: always Oyster-Band

Classical style with individual details

The Oyster Perpetual line of wristwatches features a universal, classic style and offers useful functions for everyday life with its hour, minute and second display. The new version of the Oyster Perpetual 41 features an unusual configuration: Its radial-cut silver dial features hands and indices in 18-carat yellow gold.

Material: The famous Oystersteel

Rolex uses stainless steel Oystersteel for the cases of all its stainless steel watches. The stainless steel Oystersteel, specially developed by the company, belongs to the steel grade “Stainless Steel 904L” – an alloy that is mostly used in the high technology, aerospace or chemical industries, where the highest corrosion resistance is required. Stainless steel Oystersteel is extremely durable, has an exceptional shine after polishing and retains its beauty even under extreme conditions.

Technical Features

Chromalight display

The light reflections on the flanks of the central part emphasize the refined shapes of the Oystersteel stainless steel case, which is fitted with a cambered bezel. The new generation of Oyster Perpetual watches also features the Chromalight display, whose hands and indexes – covered or filled with a blue luminous substance that glows for a long time – are visible for longer in the dark.

Novelty: Caliber 3230

The Oyster Perpetual 41 and the new versions of the Oyster Perpetual 36 are equipped with Caliber 3230 – a movement entirely designed and manufactured by Rolex, presented this year. Several patents have been filed for this mechanical self-winding movement. This mechanical self-winding movement has made great strides in terms of precision, power reserve, shock resistance, resistance to magnetic fields, ease of use and reliability. Caliber 3230 is driven by the Perpetual-Rotor automatic self-winding mechanism. Thanks to the construction of its barrel and the increased efficiency of its escapement, it now boasts a power reserve of around 70 hours.

Winding crown

The winding crown, made from around ten different individual parts, is hermetically screwed to the case. Thus, for the first time in the history of watchmaking, Rolex created a watertight winding crown – a secure interface between the protected and sealed inner workings of the watch and the harmful influences of the outside world.

The radial cut

Radial grinding on Rolex dials is a preferred process in watchmaking for applying color with an intense metallic tone to the dial, as is the case with silver-gray, rhodium and ruthenium. In most cases, galvanic silver plating serves as a base layer for radial grinding. Another color is then applied to the dials prepared in this way. Sometimes color shades – like champagne – are created from several metals.

The Oyster strap

The Oyster bracelet, a particularly robust three-row metal bracelet with flat elements introduced in the late 1930s, is still the most popular bracelet in the Oyster collection. It is used on all Professional models, but also on some classic models such as Datejust, Day-Date and Sky-Dweller. It can be fitted with all types of Rolex clasps (Oysterclasp, Oysterlock and Crownclasp) and is suitable for use with the comfortable Easylink extension system.

Oscillator and spiral spring

Rolex introduces: The Oyster Perpetual