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Citrine
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| System: | Trigonal | Colour: | Yellow - Orange |
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| Lustre: | Vitreous | Hardness: | 7 |
| Name: | From citrina (color as yellow as citron). | ||
A variety of Quartz
A yellow to yellow-orange or yellow-green variety of quartz.
A yellow-green citrine crystal with smoky phantoms.
A cut natural citrine from Norway
The cause of the color is still under debate. At least some citrine is colored by aluminum-based and irradiation-induced color centers related to those found in smoky quartz. Accordingly, transitions to smoky quartz ("smoky citrine") exist, many citrines show smoky phantoms. Like smoky quartz, these types of citrines pale when heated above 200-300 C.
It has also been suggested that iron is the cause of color, as artificial crystals grown in a iron-bearing solution turn out yellow.
Quartz colored by inclusions of any kind is not called citrine.
An amethyst geode cut into 2 halves, the right one was heated to turn the amethyst into "citrine".
Note: Natural citrine is very rare. Large quantities of amethyst, usually of lesser quality, are heated to turn it yellow or orange and sold as "citrine." Because the color is now caused by finely distributed iron minerals (mostly hematite and goethite), heated amethyst is not citrine in the strict sense.
Thin coatings of iron oxides on colourless quartz, as well as inclusions of yellow iron oxides ("limonite"), may simulate citrine.
A yellow to yellow-orange or yellow-green variety of quartz.
A yellow-green citrine crystal with smoky phantoms.
A cut natural citrine from Norway
The cause of the color is still under debate. At least some citrine is colored by aluminum-based and irradiation-induced color centers related to those found in smoky quartz. Accordingly, transitions to smoky quartz ("smoky citrine") exist, many citrines show smoky phantoms. Like smoky quartz, these types of citrines pale when heated above 200-300 C.
It has also been suggested that iron is the cause of color, as artificial crystals grown in a iron-bearing solution turn out yellow.
Quartz colored by inclusions of any kind is not called citrine.
An amethyst geode cut into 2 halves, the right one was heated to turn the amethyst into "citrine".
Note: Natural citrine is very rare. Large quantities of amethyst, usually of lesser quality, are heated to turn it yellow or orange and sold as "citrine." Because the color is now caused by finely distributed iron minerals (mostly hematite and goethite), heated amethyst is not citrine in the strict sense.
Thin coatings of iron oxides on colourless quartz, as well as inclusions of yellow iron oxides ("limonite"), may simulate citrine.
Classification of Citrine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| mindat.org URL: | http://www.mindat.org/min-1054.html Please feel free to link to this page. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Physical Properties of Citrine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lustre: | Vitreous | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colour: | Yellow - Orange | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hardness (Mohs): | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Crystallography of Citrine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crystal System: | Trigonal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other Names for Citrine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Synonyms: |
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| Other Languages: |
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Other Information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Warning: | Citrine is a variety of quartz which is usually quite harmless unless broken or powdered. Broken crystals and masses may have razor-sharp edges that can easily cut skin and flesh. Handle with care. Do not grind dry since long-term exposure to finely ground powder may lead to silicosis. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References for Citrine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reference List: - + | Georgius Agricola (1546) "De Natura Fossilium" (Book VI). Dover reprint Mark Chance Bandy & Jean A. Bandy translation Dover Publications p. 120 Dana, 1892, 187 - "Syst. Min. 6th Ed" Chudoba, K. F. (1962): Some relations between the causes of amethyst, smoky quartz, and citrine colors as given by modern science. Mineralogicheskii Sbornik (Lvov), (16), 91-105. Lehmann, G. (1972): Yellow color centers in natural and synthetic quartz. Physik der Kondensierten Materie 13, 297-306. Maschmeyer, D. et al (1980): Two modified smoky quartz centres in natural citrine. Phys.Chem.Minerals (6), 145-156 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Internet Links for Citrine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Specimens: | The following Citrine specimens are currently listed for sale on minfind.com. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Localities for Citrine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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