5 Reasons not to Sell Citrine

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Are you thinking of selling citrine that you inherited, received as a gift, or no longer wear? Before you head to eBay or another online marketplace, here are five reasons why selling your citrine may not be a good idea.

1. You’ll receive less than you think

Citrine is the most abundant yellow gemstone in today's market. As a result, pre-owned citrine jewelry has a low resale value. That may change in the future so you may decide instead to enjoy them now rather than cashing in when the value is low. 

2. You can step-up your look with citrine jewelry

You might not have been considering your citrine jewelry for your outfits. But have in mind that yellow, orange and brown are top color trends, especially for wearing during spring and fall. Add sophistication to your looks with citrine jewelry. 

3. You can keep a durable gemstone

With a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, citrine is one of the hardest gemstones, and thus very durable and resistant to scratches. If you keep your citrine jewelry, you can rest assured that you will have a durable gemstone.

4. You can redesign your citrine jewelry

The citrine pendant you inherited and don't really like can be turned into a beautiful ring that fits your style. Reach out to a jewelry designer and give a new life to your citrine. 

5. You can join Hollywood's yellow jewelry trend

As you might have noticed in the most recent red carpets, yellow stone jewelry is a favorite in Hollywood, especially when it comes to bridal jewelry. While yellow diamonds can reach sky-high prices, you can get the same sparkle with a citrine. And if you already own one, you can do that for free!


What Factors Affect the Value of Citrine?

Color: Natural, untreated citrine is normally a pale yellow to rich gold in color, and is sometimes accompanied by smoky, brown hues that are slightly reminiscent of ametrine. Deeper colors ranging from deep golden orange to sultry, rich golden brown occur naturally as well, and stones in these colors are more valuable than lighter ones. Unfortunately, most fakes are dark colored, making it difficult for the untrained eye to tell the difference between them and the real gemstones.

Clarity and Luster: These factors are quite vital in valuing citrine. Quality examples offer excellent transparency, and eye-clean specimens are the norm, making citrine stones with visible inclusions worth less. Luster is nearly a given with true citrine; almost all stones exhibit a lovely, vitreous color once cut and polished.

Cut and Shape: This factor can vary due to popularity alone. Fancy cuts such as Portuguese or scissor cuts are popular, as are pear, trillions, squares, rounds, cushions, ovals, and heart shapes. Calibrated sizes are quite common, and even larger stones can be surprisingly affordable, particularly when the color is less than desirable or when occlusions are visible.

Natural vs. Treated: Inexpensive heat-treated amethyst is often marketed as citrine, and low-grade, light-colored citrine is sometimes mistakenly or dishonestly marketed as orange-yellow topaz, which is more valuable. Other stones including golden beryl, yellow sapphire, tourmaline, and orthoclase can sometimes masquerade as citrine. For this reason, anyone wishing to buy or sell citrine would do well to consult with gemologists, who are the only ones able to spot fakes with ease.