Citrine

Yellow. Honestly, it’s not for me – I don’t like it, I don’t suit it, and I don’t wear it. Yet, I am always drawn to a citrine intaglio. It’s beyond explanation, but they draw me in and I simply must make an exception. While the name ‘Citrine’ comes from ‘citrus’ – a sensible name considering that lemons are yellow, the colours of citrine intaglios have way more breadth and depth than simply a lemony hue.

In fact, citrine intaglios range from a pale creamy kind of colour right through to the highly sought-after cairngorm. Cairngorm is a type of citrine that is highly saturated, known as the King of Citrine and found mostly in – you guessed it – The Cairngorms. As such, a lot of citrine intaglios of this hue are Scottish Heraldics and you better believe that they’re spectacular.

Not just for their colour – these Scottish Heraldic citrine intaglios are also spectacular for their amazing facet work. Citrine, as a quartz, is harder to carve than something like bloodstone or chalcedony, so when you see an intricate carving on a quartz that’s really something special.

The designs on citrine intaglios aren’t limited to Scottish Heraldics, of course. They really run the gamut from depictions of the Eye of Providence through to people’s names and some animals, though because citrine is more expensive, they were more used throughout the late Georgian and early Victorian by high class families for official correspondences.

Of course, that didn’t mean that the lower classes couldn’t enjoy their citrine intaglios – it’s just that they were more likely to have a paste that mimics the semi-precious stone. The pastes were coming into fashion in the Victorian era, and as the paste material is easier to carve, you’ll find more whimsical designs that were less about propriety in correspondence and more about adding vibes to a note.

As a warm colour, the cheerful and happiness assumed from Citrine makes them more of a hopeful talisman than a reflective one, so the colder colours like the purple of amethyst are more for mourning.

Citrine as a stone holds its own meanings. As one of the two November birthstones (alongside Jasper, which also occasionally surfaces as an intaglio!), citrine jewellery makes a thoughtful gift for a Scorpio. On the spiritual side of things, citrine is reported to promote prosperity and abundance, probably because of the comparison to gold, as well as positivity, which is generally a sunshiney vibe.

We’ve set quite a few citrine intaglios in our time here at Bauble Magpie, putting them into pendants and signet rings. We think they look most spectacular in yellow gold, as the warm colours work together and their yellowyness emphasises each other. While the hue may not be the divisive and attention grabbing colour of carnelian, it’s a solid and stunning choice for your own talisman jewelry.