Citrine is known for its warm yellow color and carries the power of the sun. The natural color of citrine is very similar to the color of white wine. If it is heat-treated, the color may be more orange or red than natural citrine, which ranges from light yellow to dark yellow. If you see a citrine with a white base and very dark, almost orange tips, it is most likely a heat-treated stone.
If citrine is real, then it should be solid throughout. Artificial gems tend to have bubbles within them that prove they’re fake. So if you hold a citrine stone close to a light, and if an inspection reveals bubbles, then the stone is likely a fake. Fake stones also tend to be darker than natural.
If it has an olive green hue, it is not a heat-treated amethyst. Unfortunately, I cannot tell if the citrine or smoky quartz has been artificially irradiated, but it has been suggested that the presence of ghostly or cloudy variations in color saturation indicates that the crystal has not been subjected to human irradiation, but since there are many natural smoke bombs and citrines that are permanently colored all over, you can’t use it to tell if something is fake.
Some Stones Are Quite Similar to Quartz
One more thing I want to mention, some ferruginous quartz is very similar to heat treated amethyst. Depending on the geographic location and environmental factors in which citrine is grown, you will see a wide variety of colors, but they will never have the red hue of heat-treated amethyst.
Even more yellow citrine can be quite valuable, as it resembles a yellow diamond or topaz. This is a great crystal to have during these months or take with you during the non-summer months when we are all looking for the increased energy that this time of year brings.
It is a beautiful stone from a group of quartz crystals with a color range from very pale yellow to dark amber. Citrine is a variety of quartz that ranges in color from pale yellow to brown due to iron impurities.
Natural citrine grows in patches like normal clear quartz and has a slight transparent yellow to olive green hue and is very rare. Meanwhile, natural citrine has a more uniform yellow color throughout the crystal.
Due to the uniform color of the crystal, rough citrine does not have a pure white undertone. However, nature has affected it with time and volcanic heat, so it naturally changed its color. Like any gemstone, citrine’s value increases with polishing.
Adding More Citrine to Your Life Enhances It
Citrine will not only bring positive energy into your life, it is also known as a trade stone because of its ability to show wealth. Citrine is a powerful stone that you can use to achieve prosperity in your life, but you won’t get the same results if you rely on fake citrine.
Citrine is a beautiful stone often associated with wealth and abundance. Citrine is a crystal that, through its color, transparency and energy, conveys freshness and prosperity. His presence is so beautiful and peculiar that at times it even seems to be able to breathe his fragrance.
Its climate of prosperity comes from its cool, pale yellow color, which can sometimes turn into an orange hue. Due to its yellow-orange color, citrine is believed to have solar properties. The most desirable color for citrine is a rich brownish-orange color with translucency, similar to the color of amber.
Citrine is valued from rich yellow to reddish-orange, devoid of brownish hues.
How to Appraise the Quality of a Citrine Crystal
The highest quality citrine has a rich golden hue with a fiery orange glow inside. When citrine is slightly orange in color, it is due to high pressure and proximity to a volcano, as occurs with pieces of citrine from Mexico, which, although completely natural, are yellow-orange in color.
The natural colors of Real Citrine begin to fade at temperatures above 200 degrees Celsius and turn yellow again when irradiated. It is recommended to avoid having citrine take in a lot of light because it is sensitive to sunlight and this can cause the color to fade over time.
Heat-treated citrine is usually dull white, usually at the base, which is a clear sign of heated crystals due to its original amethyst form. It may be difficult for the untrained eye to distinguish between real citrine and heat-treated amethyst (smoky crystal is also sometimes used).
One of the more obvious distinctions of pseudo-citrine (heat-treated amethyst) is that purple amethyst residues can be found throughout the crystal or at its base. If a citrine has long, parallel, or tapered sides, it is most likely not heat-treated amethyst, as amethyst rarely grows in this form. Amethyst crystals broken by geodes (including heat-treated) are whitish at the base and darker/richer towards the tip.
Most Citrines Sold Are Artificial
Since natural citrines are rare, most citrines on the market are the result of heat treatment, which can cause some amethysts to change their color from an unwelcome lilac to an attractive yellow. Natural citrine rarely grows in clusters like amethyst, so when you see yellow, orange, or orange crystals burning in clusters, it’s likely heat-treated amethyst.
True citrine is champagne to honey in color, while heated amethyst or artificial crystal is bright yellow or orange. Citrine is a rarer chemical than amethyst, but has nearly the same chemical composition.
Natural citrine can range from a very pale yellow, almost green hue, such as Congo citrine (also called Kundalini citrine), to a deeper, deeper yellow, often smoky, like long Zambian crystals. Citrine gets its hue from the presence of iron during the formation of quartz. Another important point is that naturally occurring citrine has a dichroic hue, meaning that different colors can be seen from different angles.
Citrine Is Normally Unmistakeable
Easily recognizable by its bright yellow color, this inexpensive gem makes beautiful and eye-catching jewelry. Jewelry designers today also like to use citrine in gold alone or in combination with amethyst, blue topaz or peridot.
It is often decorated with rubies, peridots and aquamarines on colorful brooches, necklaces and bracelets. Its sunny colors and dramatic proportions complement the era’s streamlined style and bold golds.
It’s one thing to imitate nature and turn an amethyst into citrine, but it’s quite another to fool yourself by buying yellow glass. Some sellers may try to scam you by selling your stained glass window and pretending it is real citrine. While most fake citrines are heated amethyst, some unscrupulous sellers have attempted to sell cut gemstones or even glass crystal tips.
At first, it can be quite difficult to understand what you are buying, as most stores do not label their crystals as heat-treated amethyst, and even now, many crystal authors still have photographs of fired amethyst crystals labeled as citrine.