San Miguel de Allende is about 3 hours from Mexico City, a colonial town of beautiful baroque churches, delicious restaurants and cafés and charming hotels. Everyday as I came in and out of the courtyard I ate breakfast in, an original fresco of a 'Pina' (Spanish for pineapple) caught my eye. One afternoon, I sketched it out as a pendant adding a sprinkle of diamonds just where the leaves would have been.

Drawing from the French word "citron", lemon, a citrine gemstone emulates the vitality and freshness of the vivid yellow fruit, as a symbol for prosperity, success, and imagination. Burnished in shades of yellow, from clear glistening yellows to flaming oranges, they are thought of as gemmologist's gold. Pale stones remind Cassandra of white waterlilies, the brighter yellows of tumbling Banksiae roses, and the golden richer hues of autumnal dahlias. Natural citrine can be found in Brazil, Spain, and Madagascar. As November's birthstone, they are said to protect against evil thoughts, stripping away your negativity with a new-found zest for creativity and exciting pursuits.