Keywords:
Success, Abundance, Personal Power
Affirmation:
I attract resources and abundance. I understand the power that my own conscious and subconscious beliefs hold in manifesting this abundance in my outer world.
I create what is needed for my best & highest good.
Birthstone:
Citrine is the birthstone of November along with topaz
Zodiac Sign:
Virgo
Wedding Anniversary:
Official 13th wedding anniversary gemstone
Citrine is one of the most popular gemstones available today. It belongs to the very large family of quartz gemstones. More specifically, it is the yellow to golden orange variety of gemstone-quality macrocrystalline quartz (silicon dioxide). The name ‘citrine’ was derived from ‘citron’, a French word meaning ‘lemon’, although its colour tends to be more golden rather than lemon-yellow.
Natural citrine is actually quite rare and because it is more valuable than most other varieties of quartz, much of the citrine today is actually heat-treated to obtain its attractive golden colour. Almost all heated citrine will exhibit reddish tints. When quartz is heated (naturally or artificially), iron impurities are reduced, resulting in lesser amounts of violet and purple, and stronger yellow to golden orange colours. The only difference between citrine and amethyst is the oxidation level of iron ions (Fe3) present in otherwise colourless quartz crystal, which explains citrine’s close relation to violet-purple amethyst, another variety of transparent macrocrystalline quartz.
Citrine can be easily identified through its distinct quartz properties. It is one of the few gemstones that naturally occurs in golden to yellow colours. Other similar coloured stones are typically much harder (sapphire and topaz) or much softer (sphalerite and sphene). Golden beryl, orthoclase and tourmaline can also often cause confusion. Natural citrine quartz derives its attractive golden colour from the presence of iron impurities. Ametrine is a natural bicolor combination of quartz, both golden citrine and violet amethyst in a single specimen. It has a specific chemical formula of SiO2 (silicon dioxide), a density of 2.60 to 2.70 and a refractive index of 1.544 to 1.553, all of which can help distinguish citrine from similar materials.
Although citrine deposits can be found all around the world, Brazil is the world’s leading supplier. Other notable sources include Argentina, Bolivia, France, Madagascar, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Uruguay and Zambia.
Natural untreated citrine is typically pale yellow to golden in colour and is often accompanied by smoky brownish tones. Deeper colours can occur ranging from golden orange to rich gold-brown. Darker colours are typically considered more desirable than lighter lemon colours. Heated citrine (amethyst or smoky quartz) will typically exhibit a reddish tint.
Citrine is known to occur with excellent transparency. Eye-clean specimens are quite common leaving little reason to buy citrine stones with visible inclusions. Citrine has an attractive vitreous luster when cut and polished.