Although the earth can do an irradiation process, it would be a consistent color throughout and not in spots like those points. There is no consistent color all the way through the crystal and you can see a smokiness at the top which usually comes from irradiation process, also it is a bright yellow color. In the picture below, the bottom right points are what you commonly find out of China which is an altered form of what they call 'citrine'. Although still rare, they are easier to find than a natural citrine without the smoky quartz inclusions. Some varieties are lighter in color than others, depending on the amount of smoky quartz included. Smoky citrine is an amazing crystal commonly grown in Brazil and Africa which has the presence of smoky quartz and really brings out the honey color to citrine. Also note that even though citrine grows in points, you can still find chips, tumbles, and spheres due to man made lapidary processes. In the image they almost look clear, but when you have a handful of them the champagne color really comes out. In the picture above, the crystal chips are a pale natural citrine. Natural authentic citrine will not have this white base. ![]() That is a dead giveaway for an altered crystal. Another way to tell is if the root of the crystal is white but the tip is an orange or bright yellow color. Natural citrine will very rarely ever grow in clusters like amethyst, so when you see a bright yellow, orange, or burnt orange-hued crystal in an even cluster formation, it is most likely a form of heat-treated amethyst. Very few cases of citrine grow in clusters, and those are found in Africa in Kundalini Candle Quartz and in Spirit Quartz as shown below. is a wonderful site to learn about the scientific side of crystals and where they are sourced. Amethyst comes in cluster formations and ranges from light purple to deep purple, and when heated over 300-400 degrees Celsius it turns the purple to yellow or orange.Ĭitrine has finely distributed iron minerals (mostly hematite and goethite) which creates the yellow color within quartz. The main difference between amethyst and citrine are the crystal formations and the color. Other reasons why you should care if your citrine is natural and unaltered is that heating crystals at high temperatures at a rapid rate (unlike the natural process found in the earth) can weaken the structure of the crystal and the crystal becomes brittle and is prone to breakage, which is usually why you see heated citrine chips or small raw points often. When you use baking powder instead of baking soda in your baking recipe, you would be disappointed someone labeled your minerals wrong! (Go ahead and try it and you'll quickly understand). Others use citrine for manifesting proposes, crystal grids, or spell work. ![]() Most people use specific crystals for their vibrational frequency to heal their mind or body. ![]() Why do people care if their citrine is heat treated or genuine natural citrine? I sought out citrine for its purpose of manifesting abundance and high vibrations, whereas amethyst is more of a calming crystal. ![]() When I first learned my first piece of “citrine” was heat-treated amethyst, I was very disappointed. Yes, it is a real crystal, but most of the time it is heat-treated amethyst and sometimes smoky quartz. Can You Tell the Difference Between Natural Citrine and Treated Citrine?Ĭitrine is one of the most commonly faked crystals.
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