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Citrine
Main Deposits
Brazil (main producer), Madagascar, Spain, Russia, Scotland, Uruguay, United States.
Description and Characteristics
Citrine is a variety of quartz characterised by its yellow, golden or orange hues. It belongs to the trigonal crystal system, is of magmatic or hydrothermal origin, and owes its colour to the presence of traces of iron in its crystalline structure during its formation.
Once citrine has been cut or polished, we can appreciate its great transparency and vitreous lustre, which make it one of the most popular yellow gemstones in jewellery. Although it is a rare stone in nature, most commercial citrine is obtained through the heat treatment of amethyst, a process that transforms its original purple colour into a deep honey or amber hue due to the alteration of the iron.
Once citrine has been cut or polished, we can appreciate its great transparency and vitreous lustre, which make it one of the most popular yellow gemstones in jewellery. Although it is a rare stone in nature, most commercial citrine is obtained through the heat treatment of amethyst, a process that transforms its original purple colour into a deep honey or amber hue due to the alteration of the iron.
| Chemical Formula | $$SiO_{2}$$ |
|---|---|
| Luster | Vitreous |
| Streak | White |
| Fracture | Conchoid |
| Cleavage | Null |
| Hardness | 7 Mohs |
| Crystal System | Trigonal |
Did you know...?
In ancient times, it was known as the ‘merchants’ stone’ and was carried in one’s money pouch to ensure that one’s funds would never run out. Genuine natural citrine is quite rare; if you see one with a very intense orange colour and a white base, it is almost certainly amethyst that has been heat-treated.
New-Age Properties
Citrine is one of the few minerals that doesn't need cleansing, as it doesn't accumulate negative energy, but rather transmutes and dissipates it. It's known as "the great regenerator."
Uses of Citrine
Citrine is commonly sold in geodes, druses, and jewelry items, among other things.