Handcut 29ct Citrine Ancient Roman Sunshine Anti-Venom

Handcrafted Genuine Natural Russian Twenty-Nine Carat Checkerboard Faceted Baguette Cut Madeira Citrine Semi-Precious Gemstone.

ORIGIN: The Ural Mountains, Siberia, Russia.

CLASSIFICATION: Madeira Orange (Bright Cognac) Checkerboard Faceted Baguette Cut Citrine Semi-Precious Gemstone.

SIZE: Length: 20 1/2mm. Width: 16 3/4mm. Depth: 11mm. All measurements approximate.

WEIGHT: 28.93 carats.

NOTES: Upon request we can set your gemstones as a ring, pendant, or as earrings (click here for more information).

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’s a magnificent, sparkling “madeira orange” citrine from the Ural Mountains of Russia. Gorgeous, vibrant, and vividly hued, this striking semi-precious gemstone is of very high quality and possesses breathtaking luster. It has been hand cut into a sparkling, brilliant, checkerboard faceted baguette cut gemstone with lots of flash and depth. As you can see, this is an exceptionally good quality gemstone. Certainly to the eye it is nothing less than perfect, it is truly a beautiful, sumptuous, and regal-sized semi-precious gemstone.

The gemstone was hand crafted and faceted by a Russian artisan, part of a centuries-long heritage renown for the production of the elaborate gemstones and jewelry of the Czars of Medieval, Renaissance, and Victorian Russia. Under magnification the gemstone shows the unmistakable characteristics of having been hand crafted. The coarseness of the handcrafted finish is considered appealing to most gemstone collectors, and is not considered a detriment, or to 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-faceted gemstones. Unlike today’s computer controlled machine produced gemstones that approach flawlessness in a perfect finish, the cut and finish of a handcrafted gemstone such as this is the cultural legacy passed onwards by artisans who lived centuries ago.

This gemstone has great luster and sparkle, and to the eye is completely transparent, but one cannot say with absolute certainty that it is absolutely flawless. True, any blemishes it possesses are not visible to the naked eye, and even at 600% as in these photo enlargements here (or under a 5x jeweler’s loupe) there are no discernible flaws. However we hesitate to use the word “flawless”, as sooner or later blemishes will show up at higher levels of magnification with almost every natural gemstone. An absolutely flawless gemstone is very rare in nature (and usually turns out to be synthetic). However the gemstone can be characterized at a minimum, to use trade jargon, as "eye clean". To the eye it is indeed without blemish. However close examination with a jeweler’s loupe will however reveal occasional blemishes within the gemstone (as is the case with most any natural gemstone), as well as slight irregularities in the faceting and finish. Naturally these characteristics are expected of hand-finished, natural gemstones. However for most, the unique nature and character of hand-crafted gemstones such as this more than makes up for the slight blemishes and irregular finishes which by and large, are only noticed 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.

You might guess I travel extensively for a living. My profession is a purchasing agent for antique gemstones, which generally come from Russia, India, Ceylon, and Siam. I grew up in the Southern Urals of Russia, just miles away from some of the greatest gemstone producing regions in the world’s history. Alexandrite, diamond, emerald, sapphire, chrysoberyl, topaz, demantoid garnet, and many other rare and precious gemstones are produced from the mountains within mere minutes or a few hours from the city I once called home. My interest in the fabulous history of Russian gemstones and the fabulous jewelry of the Czar’s led to further education and contacts in India, Ceylon, and Siam, other ancient centers of gemstone production and finishing. Though perhaps difficult to find in the USA, antique gemstones are commonly unmounted from old, broken settings – the gold reused – the gemstones recut and reset.

Before this happens, before these gorgeous antique gemstones are recut, I try to acquire the best of them in their original, antique, hand-finished state – most of them centuries old. I believe that the work created by these long-gone master artisans is worth protecting and preserving rather than destroying this heritage of antique gemstones by recutting the original work out of existence. That by preserving their work, in a sense, we are preserving their lives and the legacy they left for modern times. Far better to appreciate their craft than to destroy it with modern cutting. Not everyone agrees – fully 95% or more of the antique gemstones which come into these marketplaces are recut, and the heritage of the past lost. But if you agree with me that the past is worth protecting, and that past lives and the produce of those lives still matters today, consider buying an antique, hand cut, natural gemstone rather than one of the mass-produced machine cut (often synthetic or “lab produced”) gemstones which dominate the market today.

In my travels back and forth between the USA, Asia, and Eastern Europe I also tend to accumulate a lot of books, CD’s, and audio recordings. So I oftentimes have lightly used CD’s, once-read books, audio recordings, and even some antique books I buy in Europe for sale as well. And occasionally I will find such a good buy on contemporary jewelry for my clients that I will purchase a few extra pieces to offer on eBay. These are always offered clearly labeled as contemporary, and not antiques – just to avoid confusion. I also end up with boatloads of jewelry and gemstone samples which were not fully distributed to the retailers I purchase on behalf of. Some really great pieces, including antiques, pearls, as well as some pieces of antique Russian jewelry.

I have always been fascinated with jewelry and gemstones. Bangkok, Taipei, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Bombay are great places to find incredible deals on both gemstones and jewelry, and over the years I have made many friends within the trade in these five cities. So you can look for a steady flow of little treasures I discover in my travels, and I will be happy to share with you the best deals I can find through my industry acquaintances in these far-off Asian lands. Though I spend a good part of each year in Europe and Asia, most of the year I am here in the United States, and that's where all of my little treasures are. So you can count on quick shipping and careful packaging. And if I am not home - I have someone who does it for me!

Domestic shipping is $3.99 for first class mail or $6.99 for Priority Mail. Domestic rates include USPS Delivery Confirmation (you might be able to update the status of your shipment on-line at the USPS Web Site). Canadian shipments are $3.99 for Air Mail; International shipments are $4.99 for Air Mail (and generally are NOT tracked; trackable shipments are EXTRA). I can add most other items I sell to the shipment for only $0.99 each. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipped within 48 hours of payment. We package as well as anyone in the business, with lots of protective padding and containers. Trackable and insured shipments are required by PayPal for all eBay purchases utilizing PayPal as a payment method. Therefore shipping costs for this item includes the fee for postal insurance ($8 for domestic shipments; $18 for international shipments); and is required for whenever PayPal is used as the payment method.

We do NOT recommend uninsured shipments, and expressly disclaim any responsibility for the loss of an uninsured shipment. Unfortunately the contents of parcels are easily “lost” or misdelivered by postal employees – even in the USA. We do offer U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Registered Mail, and Express Mail for both international and domestic shipments, as well United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (Fed-Ex). Please ask for a rate quotation. We will accept whatever payment method you are most comfortable with. If upon receipt of the item you are disappointed for any reason whatever, I offer a no questions asked return policy. Send it back, I will give you a complete refund of the purchase price. We do offer a certificate of authenticity (COA) upon request for all of our items. There is a $2 fee for mailing under separate cover. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE."