 | Citrine is one of the most popular gemstones available today. It belongs to the very large family of quartz (SiO2) gemstones. It is the yellow to golden-orange variety of gemstone-quality macrocrystalline quartz (silicon dioxide). The name 'citrine' was derived from 'citron', a French word meaning 'lemon'. |  |
 | Natural citrine is rare and more valuable than most other varieties of quartz. Much of the citrine today is heat-treated to obtain its golden color. Almost all heated citrine will exhibit reddish tints. Citrine is very closely related to violet-purple amethyst, another variety of macrocrystalline quartz. The only difference between citrine and amethyst is the oxidation level of iron ions (Fe3) present in colorless quartz crystal. When quartz is heated, iron impurities are reduced, resulting in less violet-purple color and more golden to orange colors. |
 | Citrine is known to occur with excellent transparency. Eye-clean specimens are quite common leaving no reason to buy citrine stones with inclusions. Citrine has a vitreous luster when cut and polished. Citrine is almost always faceted. Round brilliants and ovals are most common. |  |
 | Citrine has been marketed with catchy adjectives like “butterscotch” and “whiskey.” At the top end of the scale are saturated yellow, orange, and reddish stones. Those with less intense color fall into lower value ranges, with pale or smoky stones at the bottom. There is no exponential increase in value per carat with increase in size, as larger sizes are readily available. In many specimens, most of the value is due to the artistry of the cutting. |  |
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