55 Citrine Facts You Have To Know About This Rare Gemstone

The pale yellow crystal has been used throughout history by ancient Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and many others who wore them and associated them with gods of harvest and power.

Citrine is one of the semiprecious crystal varieties of quartzes. Although quartzes are one of the most abundant crystals on the planet, the beautiful warm crystal is one of the rarest forms of quartzes.

Vintage jewelry made of this joyful stone is extremely valuable and collectible. It is also believed to have healing properties, although they are not medically proven.

Facts About Citrine

It is the name given to the yellow variety of quartz which is exceptionally rare and has been in use since ancient times. Here are some intriguing facts about citrine.

• It gets its pale yellow color from the metal iron oxide.
• Citrine is piezoelectrical and can convert electrical signals to mechanical movement.
• Piezoelectric crystal properties were discovered by Pierre Curie and his sibling, Jacques, in 1880.
• They are semiprecious gemstones believed to have healing powers.
• Madeira Citrine is the trade name given to the most valuable of these stones.
• Some scholars believe the name citrine to have originated from Latin.
• Citrine has a pleasantly warm hue with warm skin tones.
• The name for the stone was coined in 1556, before which it was just called yellow quartz.
• Citrine is the world's most popular quartzes behind amethyst.
• The word citrine comes from the French word meaning lemon.
• The refractive index of the crystal is around 1.55.
• Citrine occurs close to amethyst and the two are often mixed.
• Fake citrine is also known as a heat-treated amethyst.
• Citrine was one of the precious stones popular in Hellenistic Greece.
• Heated amethyst often gets mistaken for natural citrine due to its similar look.
• The stone is very brittle but highly scratch-resistant.
• Citrine is a 7 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.
• Topaz is a sister stone that can only be differentiated by the Mohs Hardness Scale where it scores 8.
• Citrine is said to have a vitreous luster which becomes duller in larger stones.
• The melting point of citrine is around 3038 F (1670 C).
• Ancient Roman naturalists believed quartz to be ice permanently frozen due to long time freezing.
• The synthesis of citrine quartzes dates back to 1845!
• The largest citrine stone weighs 15.9 oz (2258 ct)!
• The gemstones' color ranges from light yellow to dark yellow.
• The largest supplier of natural citrine is the Rio Grande do Sol state in Brazil.
• Artificial citrine is shown to have color banding.
• Fake citrine can be differentiated depending on the intensity of the colors.
• It is a reddish-brown stone with a trigonal crystal system.
• Most commercial stones are just heat-treated amethysts or smoky quartz.
• Heat-treated citrine is the most common type of citrine gemstone available in the world.
• Citrine is usually found in bedrock, natural sand, and gravel.

Where does citrine come from?

It is mined in Brazil, Russia, Spain, Madagascar, Scotland, and the USA.

• Some of these stones can even be found at riversides between gravel.
• Iron-stained quartz is often mistaken for citrine.
• The word 'quartz' originates from the German 'quarz' that had Slavic origins. Other sources state it comes from the Saxon word Querkluftertz, which means cross-vein ore.

Formation And Mining Of Citrine

It is found in metamorphic and igneous rocks. The stone is formed by the hardening of lava in gas cavities.

• Natural crystals can be as big as 1.1 in (3 cm)!
• Silicon dioxide is the chemical makeup of citrine.
• Most citrine found in the markets is created by heating clear crystals in the presence of iron oxide to stain its appearance.
• Jewelry made of yellow stone is highly collectible and fetches large sums in auctions.
• Hollywood stars like Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford favored jewelry made of citrine gems.
• Smithsonian has a collection of antique jewelry pieces made with this wonderful stone.
• One of the world's most famous exhibits featuring the yellow gems is the 'Jolie Necklace', which weighs about 1.2 oz (177.11 ct).
• Citrine is mined via open-pit mining with explosives.
• Sudden changes in temperature can often damage citrine crystals causing fractures.

Citrine Uses

Citrine is deemed the second official birthstone of those born in November.

• Citrine stone was extremely popular post the First World War as affluence went down and people looked for semiprecious jewelry.
• It is also known as the 'Merchant's Stone' and is believed to bring joy and prosperity.
• Ancient Romans were the first users of the gemstone and wore it as decorative jewelry.
• The color of the gemstone can easily fade if it is not taken care of.
• Scottish Jewelry in the middle ages made use of the yellow stone.
• Citrine was incredibly popular in the Art Deco movement in the 20th century.
• Citrine was used in interior design and citrine jewelry was popular in the '30s.
• Quartzes are of the most abundant minerals on the planet, but citrine is extremely rare.
• Ancient Romans used citrine for intaglio printing techniques.
• Particulate citrine dust can be extremely harmful to humans.

The Symbolism of Citrine

Citrine is also called the success stone since its believed to bring success to its users.

• Citrine is believed to bring prosperity and money to its owners.
• The Merchant's Stone was also used by the ancient Egyptians in talismans associated with Sekhmet, the Egyptian goddess of war.
• It is also associated with the Greek goddess Demeter of harvest, grain, and fertility
• Christian mythology mentions citrine as one of the stones of Aaron's breastplate.

The Benefits Of Citrine

Natural citrine is believed by some to have many healing powers- it is believed to help the nervous system and indigestion.

• Some people believe that it can be used to activate solar plexus, root, and sacral chakras
• Citrine is believed to protect from physical harm and diseases.
• Some people believe that it can be used to cleanse the digestive system of bodily impurities.
• Citrine is believed to alleviate eye problems and strengthen the nervous system.
• Citrine is believed to be useful during PMS and cramps.