Designers Verdura, David Yurman, Vram, Margot McKinney, Mellerio and LeVain put citrines on center stage.
Citrine, known for its sunny yellow to orange tones and natural clarity, has been incorporated into jewelry for centuries. The gemstone’s name is thought to come from the French citron, meaning lemon, and the Latin word citrina, meaning yellow, and was first recorded in English around the end of the 14th century. Citrine’s hues can range from pale yellow to reddish-orange to light orangish-brown. The most valuable stones tend to be in the reddish-orange color range, which is sometimes referred to as Madeira Citrine, and stones with deep, rich yellow shades. A yellow variety of quartz, citrine has a hardness of 7 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. While this is lower than diamond (10) and ruby and sapphire (9), the stone is still relatively scratch-resistant and well-suited for any type of jewelry.
One of November’s birthstones, citrine is incorporated widely in jewelry, and often combined with other colored gemstones in rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Its orangey and yellowy hues pair well with other gems in the red color family, as well as blue sapphires, green emeralds and others to great effect. The Margot McKinney earrings pictured above pair Madeira citrines with golden South Sea pearls.
Serene Sunset
Designer David Yurman was inspired by the colors of the sunsets of Spain’s Costa del Sol when designing the brand’s Marbella chandelier earrings, pictured left. Incorporating “contemporary faceting techniques borrowed from traditional antique cuts [that] highlight the vibrant depth of each stone,” according to the brand, the earrings feature a mixture of deeply colored Madeira citrines and lighter-toned honey yellow citrines set in 18-karat yellow gold.
In several historical civilizations, citrine has been believed to bring metaphysical properties to the wearer, including positivity, warmth, soothing anger and manifesting desires. Archaeologists have found Ancient Egyptian citrines carved into talismans, which served as both ornamentation and to ward off spirits. Britain’s Queen Victoria, who amassed a large jewelry collection during her lifetime, was especially fond of citrine. When her Balmoral estate was built in Scotland, she had it decorated with citrine stones.
Fit for a King
Family-owned jeweler Le Vian has a rich history that dates back centuries. One of the company’s most famous early clients was Nader Shah, who ruled as emperor of Iran from 1736 to 1747. His large collection of valuable jewels included the famed Koh-i-Noor diamond, and he entrusted Le Vian to safeguard it and the rest of his expansive collection. The brand is known for jewelry that features unique combinations of gemstones. The Ombre earrings, pictured right, featuring central citrines accented by rhodolites, spessartites and diamonds set in 14-karat gold, are a case in point.
Rock Candy
Verdura’s Candy ring collection is named for a ring that the brand’s founder, Fulco Verdura, made in 1942 for his client’s 102-carat star sapphire. The brand has been famous since its founding for its bold and unexpected combination of colored stones. Some of Mr. Verdura’s first jewelry pieces were designed for Coco Chanel, and he famously took some of Chanel’s jewelry given to her by past lovers and combined their gemstones into bracelets. The Candy ring, pictured right, features a central citrine accented by chrome tourmalines.
19th-Century Romance
Founded in 1613 under the patronage of Queen Marie de Médicis, Mellerio is the oldest jewelry company in Europe that is still in the hands of its founding family. The Pierreries necklace pictured left was “inspired by the sculptural richness, joyful colours and romantic spirit of the jewellery created by the family company between 1820 and 1830,” according to the brand. Mellerio’s artistic director and president, Laure Isabelle Mellerio, combined this early 19th-century design inspiration with a “contemporary vitality.” The necklace pictured right is crafted of 18-k pink, green and yellow gold and is set with 220 carats of citrines.
Deco Design
Australian jeweler Margot McKinney is known for her bold, richly designed large-scale jewels, many of which highlight her native country’s exquisite South Sea pearls. McKinney’s expertise draws upon the legacy of four generations of her family’s McKinney’s Jewelers, and she founded her eponymous company in 2007. The brand’s Deco madeira citrine and pink opal earrings, pictured left, feature more than 56 carats of citrine and over 38 carats of pink opal with detachable South Sea pearl drops.
Citrine Continuum
Vram Minassian founded his jewelry design and production house in Los Angeles in 1985. In 2016, after more than 30 years of designing jewelry for global brands as well as custom pieces for private clients, he introduced his Continuum project of thematic collections. The brand’s citrine Chrona Totem earrings, pictured, left are crafted of 18-k yellow gold with diamond accents.
