Etymology
The term citrine comes from the French “citron” which means lemon. The color range of this gem includes all shades of yellow, gold, and dark orange.
Citrine False Names
Citrine can be confused with many other yellow gems such as apatite, beryl, orthoclase, topaz, tourmaline and tinted glass.
A good part of the citrines we see today in the market are amethyst or rose quartz, subject to heat treatment, these gems when heated acquire a reddish yellow, natural citrines generally exhibit a pale yellow color; although this is not enough to distinguish it as a Brazilian amethyst heated to 470 ° C. gets this color too. Another aspect that can be reviewed is the pleochroism in citrines with an intense color and under the suspicion to have suffered warming, it differs from the natural, virtually it has none and could then be an amethyst.
Citrine Characteristics and Properties
| Mineral Type | Group IV Oxides |
|---|---|
|
Color |
From light to dark yellow, brownish, golden |
|
Streak |
white |
|
Hardness |
7 Mohs |
|
Specific Gravity |
2.65 |
|
Cleavage |
None |
|
Fracture |
Cochoidal |
|
Crystal System |
Trigonal |
|
Habit |
Hexagonal prisms, pyramid crowned |
|
Chemical Formula |
SiO2 |
|
Optical Properties |
Uniaxial (+) |
|
Transparency |
Transparent |
|
Luster |
Intense vitreous |
|
Refractive Index |
1.544 - 1.553 |
|
Birefringence |
0.009 |
|
Dispersion |
0.013 (BG), 0.008 (CF) |
|
Pleochroism |
Weak yellow – light yellow |
|
Fluorescence |
None |
Deposits
Natural citrines generally come from deposits in Brazil, Madagascar, United States, Argentina, Myanmar, Namibia, Russia, Scotland and Spain among others.
The citrine is recommended to revitalize the body
Uses
In crystal therapy, it is recommended to revitalize the body, to eliminate toxins, to protect the reproductive system in women, reducing the consequences of Parkinson’s disease and to fight senility.
The properties attributed to this quartz are related to the ability to encourage calm and stability, being indicated in cases of depression, anxiety, complexes, obsessions, phobias and panic attacks.
