Two Twenty-Two Carat Antique Nineteenth Century Handcrafted Briolette Cut Citrines. Mounted into contemporary high quality 14kt gold fill French hooks.

ORIGIN: Coastal Devonian Lava Beds, Angus, Scotland, 19th Century.

SIZE: Length: 21mm. Width: 14mm. All measurements approximate.

WEIGHT: 44.74 carats (combined gemstone weight).

NOTES: Upon request we can set your gemstone as a ring, earring, or pendant.

DETAIL: The Romans, Greeks and Celts believed citrine to be the crystallized essence of sunshine, and believed it would aid in digestion and cleanse toxins from the body, and it was even carried as protection against snake venom. Here are two large, very clean, golden yellow citrines which originated in the Devonian lava beds found along the coast of Angus Country, Scotland. These are exquisite gemstones which are completely transparent, exceptionally clean, water clear, with beautiful sparkle and luster. These particular gemstones were hand cut and faceted into these somewhat coarse briolettes, an old fashioned cut reflecting their heritage, by a 19th century Russian artisan, part of an heritage renown for the production of the elaborate gemstones and jewelry of the Czars of Medieval, Renaissance, and Victorian Russia.

These are very beautiful and brightly hued citrine semi-precious gemstones which though as you can clearly see in these photo enlargements might not be absolutely flawless, they are eye clean. Under magnification the gemstones show the unmistakable characteristics of having been hand crafted. However the coarseness of the nineteenth century finish is considered appealing to most gemstone collectors, and is not considered a detriment, or detract from the value of a gemstone. These characteristics are not only expected of hand-finished gemstones, most serious collectors consider such gemstones more desirable, possessed of greater character and uniqueness when compared to today's cookie-cutter mass-produced machine-tumbled gemstones. Unlike today's computer controlled machine produced gemstones, the cut and finish of a gemstone such as this is the legacy of an artisan who lived two centuries ago.

The earring settings are of contemporary origin. They are high quality settings manufactured by one of the USA's leading semi-custom mount producers. They are constructed of 14kt gold fill. They are not cheap, gold electroplated earrings. They are of genuine 14kt gold fill, designed to last a lifetime. It's a first-class piece of jewelry throughout. We can reset into 14kt solid gold upon request, and there are also many other setting styles available upon request including euro clicks, lever backs, kidney wires, ball/stud dangles, etc.

The gemstones have great luster and color, and to the eye are completely transparent, but they are not absolutely flawless. True, the blemishes they possess are virtually invisible to the naked eye, and the gemstones can be characterized, to use trade jargon, as "eye clean". To the view of the casual admirer the gemstones are seemingly without blemish. However magnified five times over as they are here, you can see slight blemishes within the stones. Of course the same may said about almost any natural gemstone. An absolutely flawless gemstone simply is not the rule in nature. Most absolutely flawless gemstones will upon close examination be revealed to be synthetic, as perfect gemstones are the realm of laboratory-produced gemstones, not Mother Nature. You might also notice under magnification occasional irregularities in the cut and finish. Of course, these characteristics are not only expected of hand-finished gemstones, you must also consider that two centuries ago the mining techniques even possible then, let alone in practice, did not allow the ultra deep mining operations which are so commonplace today.

Keep in mind two centuries ago mankind was more or less limited to surface deposits or near surface deposits of gemstones. Higher quality gemstones which today are routinely mined from beneath hundreds of meters, even kilometers beneath the earth's surface, were simply inaccessible then. For these reasons antique gemstones must be appreciated as antiques first, gemstones second. The relatively superlative quality of contemporary gemstones routinely mined from deep beneath the earth's surface today were simply not accessible two centuries ago, or at least, only rarely so. However for most, the unique nature and character of antique gemstones such as this more than makes up for miniscule blemishes and cutting imperfections which are inherent in antique, hand-cut gemstones, and which are by and large, are only visible under high magnification.

HISTORY: Citrine, like Amethyst, is part of the quartz family. Citrine takes its name from the Latin "citrus" for citrus tree. Natural citrine is actually somewhat rare in nature. Most citrines on the market today have been converted from less expensive amethyst or smoky quartz through a heat process. True citrine is characterized by light yellow tones, as opposed to the orange/violet tones of "converted" citrine. Citrine is widely used in jewelry due to its availability, affordability, and durability. It was popular in the late Victorian era and was often set with other semiprecious stones such as bloodstones, carnelian and garnets. The Greeks and Romans used Citrine for intaglios and as cabochon (polished) gemstones during the first and second centuries. The gemstone was worn as a protective talisman and used for medicinal purposes. The Romans and Greeks believed it to be the crystallized essence of sunshine, and believed it would aid in digestion and cleanse toxins from the body. Citrine was carried as protection against snake venom.

SHIPPING OPTIONS: All purchases are backed by an unlimited guarantee of satisfaction and authenticity. If for any reason you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it for a complete and immediate refund of your entire purchase price. Most of these antique gemstones were originally part of two collections, one originating in India principally composed of gemstones originally mined in India, Burma, Ceylon, and Siam, and then hand faceted in India. The addition of a second accumulation of antique gemstones originally mined in the Urals in the mid to late 19th century (including alexandrite) completed the collection. These gemstones as well were hand finished. The Urals have been one of the world's major sources of precious and semi-precious gemstones for many centuries. As well, additional specimens are occasionally acquired from other institutions and dealers in Eastern Europe and Asia. These antique gemstones are now in the United States and are available for immediate delivery.

We ship inventory from the USA order fulfillment center near Seattle, Washington. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipping within 48 hours of payment. A certificate of authenticity is available upon request. We prefer your personal check or money order over any other form of payment - and we will ship immediately upon receipt of your check (no "holds"). We will accept PayPal payments. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE".