14K Gold Citrine Stud Earrings - Golden Oval in Gold Wave

Citrine Stud Earrings - Golden Ovals in a Sculptural Gold Wave

An oval citrine on each ear, about 7 x 5mm, claw-set at an angle inside a heavy curl of polished gold that folds around it like a wave breaking or a leaf turning back on itself. The stone is a warm golden orange with amber depths, faceted so it throws light rather than glowing, and set tilted so it catches from a different direction than the gold does. Approximately 1.3 carat across the pair. The mount is generous - the pair weighs 2.2 grams in 14k solid gold, most of that in the sculptural surround rather than in the stones.

Setting a golden stone in yellow gold is a harder problem than it looks, because the two can simply merge. The solution here is contrast of surface rather than of colour: the gold is polished to a broad soft mirror while the citrine is cut into small flat facets, so one reads as a smooth sweep and the other as a scatter of bright points. Tilting the stone within the curl does the rest, making sure that when the gold catches the light the stone does not, and the eye always has somewhere to go.

FAQs

1. What stone is this, exactly?
Citrine - the golden-yellow variety of quartz. It is not fluorite, which is a completely different and much softer mineral unsuited to earrings. If you have seen fluorite mentioned anywhere against this piece, that was our error and this listing is the correction.

2. Is the colour natural?
Most citrine sold anywhere is amethyst heated until it turns golden, which is a permanent change to the quartz itself rather than a surface treatment. It has been standard for more than a century and is not considered a defect. We say so plainly instead of letting the word natural do quiet work it has not earned.

3. How big are they on the ear?
The stone is about 7 x 5mm and the gold curl wraps around and beyond it, so each earring reads as a small sculptural shape rather than as a plain stone - more presence than a simple claw stud of the same carat weight.

4. Is citrine hard-wearing?
Yes. It is quartz at 7 on the hardness scale, tougher than most everyday hazards, and unlike amethyst it will not fade in sunlight. Store it away from sapphires and diamonds, which will scratch it.

5. How should they be cleaned?
Warm soapy water and a soft brush, working into the fold of the gold curl where dust settles, then dry fully. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and sudden temperature changes. For the gold, see our Gold Care Card, and our hallmark guide explains the 585 mark.

How to Style the Citrine Studs

Gold on gold is warm rather than loud, so these work with tan, cream, olive, rust and denim, and they lift a plain outfit in winter light better than a cool stone would. Small enough for every day. Explore the full 14k and 18k Gold collection, browse more Earrings, or visit JewelBuild™.