What Is Citrine?

Citrine is a type of quartz, a silicon dioxide. Natural citrine found in the wild is incredibly rare, because of this, most citrine available on the market today is another variety of quartz that has undergone heat treatment. It is usually amethyst and sometimes smoky quartz, which are much more abundantly available, that are heated to produce citrine. 

Citrine has a Mohs scale rating of hardness of 7 making it great for regular wear. It is the most popular yellow gemstone and is able to meet demand due to quartz’ abundance on the planet. Due to its abundance, it is positioned as a much more affordable gemstone than other gemstones on the market which further drives sales. 

It forms hexagonal crystals in igneous & metamorphic rocks then it gets its yellow to orange colour from the trace element iron within its quartz structure.

The colour can range from a very pale lemon yellow to a deep golden orange. Madeira citrine ranges from a golden orange to reddish brown. Its name inspiration comes from Madeira wine due to the colour similarity & it is a well regarded, valued type of citrine. 

Fire citrine can display deep reddish-orange shades whereas palmeira citrine is well known for its vibrant deep orange hue. Palmeira citrine is often sold in high end boutiques with its warm to deep yellow-orange colour. It gets its name after the mine from which it came in Brazil.  

Sometimes citrine & amethyst can grow as part of the same crystal forming a unique purple & yellow gem called ametrine. High quality stones with a 50/50 split of intense purple & yellow command the highest prices. Ametrine is sourced in Bolivia & given that it is found in large crystals the price does not increase dramatically in the same way it does for other gemstones - the same is true for citrine in general. 

Citrine can often be confused with yellow topaz due to the similar hues but yellow topaz typically has more sparkle. Citrine however is typically eye-clean, & inclusions are less common in citrine compared to other gems such as emeralds. 

As part of the overall quartz mineral family, which is the third most abundant mineral on the planet, it benefits from availability in larger carat sizes. Fantastically large stones can be found for a reasonable price & stones of 15+ carats are not uncommon. The world's largest citrine known as malaga weighs over 20,000 carats. 

The History Of Citrine 

Citrine quartz has been around since the ancient times where it was believed that it could soothe anger & attract prosperity. As such the Egyptians often wore them as talismans. 

In ancient Greek & Roman times citrines were believed to attract fortune into their lives. Still modern day metaphysical practitioners value its potential to attract luck & money. 

In the mid eighteenth century the discovery of heating amethyst and smoky quartz and thus turning them into wonderful yellow citrines set off the boom for citrine’s popularity. Citrine stones further increased in popularity during the art deco period as people often sought after coloured gemstones. 

For What Month Is Citrine The Birthstone? 

Citrine (along with topaz) is the birthstone for the month of November & makes for an autumnal colour that adds beautifully to your outfit. 

Does Citrine Undergo Any Treatments? 

Yes - citrine typically undergoes heat treatment because naturally found citrine is incredibly rare. This is a well accepted practice in the industry & the colour is reasonably stable. The original hue of the heated stone will largely determine the colour of the citrine once heated. Colourless quartz stones can also be irradiated and then heated to produce lemon quartz. 

Citrine can also be grown hydrothermally in labs at a relatively low cost. 

How to care for your citrine jewellery? 

• Citrine is a good stone in that it doesn’t require too much special care. 

• Heat treated stones may fade when exposed to heat. It is important to avoid steam cleaning or boiling your citrine jewellery. It’s best to clean with warm water & mild detergent or to use ultrasonic cleaners. 

• Low quality citrine with any liquids or gases trapped within the crystal structure should be cleaned by hand only. 

• Citrine should be kept separate from other gemstones to prevent scratching.