Citrine takes its name from the French word for lemon 'Citron.'  Many citrine gemstones have a rich lemony color.  Very affordable, citrine can brighten almost any jewelry style.  Citrine is a form of quartz, and a cousin in that respect to Amethyst.  In fact, many citrine gems today started as amethyst that was treated with heat to change the purple color to the golden yellow shown above.  For that reason, citrine should be kept away from long exposure to light or heat.

In ancient times, citrine was carried to protect against evil thoughts and snake venom.

Citrine is sometimes referred to as topaz quartz.  This in incorrect, as golden topaz is an entirely different mineral.   Because of its golden color, however, citrine is sometimes used as an alternative to topaz for the birthstone for November.