Citrine & diamond pendant with black agate accents.
Citrine has been used ornamentally for thousands of years. In fact, in Ancient Greece, the stone was used as a decorative gem during the Hellenistic Age between 300 and 150 B.C. In addition, 17th century Scottish men used citrine on the handles of daggers and swords for decorative purposes. However, there is also record of entire sword handles that were crafted from citrine. More recently, citrine was particularly popular during the Art Deco era between World War I and World War II. During this time, movie stars wore oversized and elaborate citrine jewelry.
The name “citrine” replaced the standard name of “yellow quartz” in 1556. Natural citrine is rare, and today most citrine quartz is the result of heat treatment of amethyst quartz. The natural exceptions are mostly found in brazil, but do come from a few other countries. These natural stones are known as Madeira citrine and display reddish orange hues.
It is believed that the name originated from the French word citron, meaning lemon.
Sources:
https://www.markschneiderdesign.com/blogs/jewelry-blog/the-history-of-citrine-gemstones#:~:text=Citrine%20has%20been%20used%20ornamentally,and%20swords%20for%20decorative%20purposes.
“Citrine History and Lore.” Gemological Institute Of America, www.gia.edu/citrine-history-lore.