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July 21, 2021 Sheila Satin

Is Your Citrine Real or Fake?

sheila of satin crystals holding real and heat treated citrine pointsHow can you be sure that you have real Citrine and not a fake? Is heated Citrine real or fake? What's the difference between real, heated, untreated, and fake Citrine?

There's so much to know about Citrine.

Watch the video on real vs fake Citrine

Watch the video on Real vs Fake Citrine to see examples and hear the explanation on both. 

What is Citrine? 

Citrine is a yellow form of Quartz that has been heated naturally within the earth's mantle or by humans. Humans have been successfully heating Amethyst and Smoky Quartz into Citrine for so many centuries, that this man-heated crystal is now accepted as Citrine.

There is a lot of debate on the definition of a Citrine. Some people consider the slightest yellow tint in Quartz to be a Citrine. Others demand that Citrine is only a distinct yellow color. 

To learn in-depth about Citrine, visit Citrine Crystal Meaning.

heat treated tumbled citrine and natural real citrine point

Is real Citrine rare?

Real Citrine is rare and expensive, which is why heat-treated Citrine is so abundant. If you find real Citrine, expect to pay a premium price. 

How do you know if your Citrine is heat-treated?

The only way to know for sure if your Citrine is naturally heated in the earth (rather than by humans) is to skillfully mine it yourself or send your stone to a certified laboratory for testing.

The next best thing? Find a reputable seller who knows what they are selling you!

Here is a brief overview of heat-treated Citrine vs real or natural Citrine:

  • If it is heat-treated, the yellow colors will be more intense at the tips and you will see the white Quartz at the bottom of the crystal. Meanwhile, natural Citrine has a more uniform yellow color throughout the crystal. 

  • If it is heat-treated, the color can be more orange or red than natural Citrine which is in the pale to dark yellow range. 

  • If it is heat-treated, your raw Citrine may become more crumbly and weak by the heating process whereas natural Citrine is relatively stable. 

  • Heat-Treated Citrine is often found in clusters because it is heated from Amethyst geodes. Natural Citrine is rarely found in cluster formation and if it is a cluster, it will have more distinct parallel crystal formations

  • Heat-treated Citrine may be tooth-shaped. This is the shape they form when they are removed from an Amethyst geode. A natural Citrine will be a straighter 6-sided crystal. 

  • Heat-Treated Citrine will turn dark in high temperatures whereas Natural Citrine will turn white. The natural colors of Real Citrine start to fade in heat over 200 degrees Celcius and will turn yellow again if irradiated. 
citrine points in palm of hand

How can you tell if your Citrine is fake?

It is one thing to simulate nature and turn Amethyst into Citrine, but it's a different thing altogether to be duped into buying yellow glass. Here are some tips on how to tell if your Citrine is a real gemstone or a glass: 

  • Glass will show bubbles, whereas real Citrine will not 

  • Glass will not show color banding where real gemstones will 

  • Glass will feel cooler than real gemstones 

  • When faceted, glass may show more rounded edges while real Citrine will have sharp edges

Another form of fake Citrine may be a dyed clear stone. While it is a real stone, it may be dyed to look yellow.

natural citrine, quartz cluster, and heated citrine geode in palm of hand

Can I use heat-treated Citrine in healing?

Heat-treated Citrine is still considered Citrine when doing energy healing work. Whether it was heated by Mother Nature or humans, this yellow crystal vibrates with the Solar Plexus chakra and prosperity energy.

Just like any other crystal that has been altered, it is up to you as the healer to determine your preferences. If you are already working with polished stones, carved stones, or tumbled stones, you realize that they have been manipulated from their raw state. 

However, if you are working specifically with the energy of raw, unaltered stones, you are a crystal purist and you will want to hunt down and pay the price for natural Citrine which is much pricier than heated Citrine. 

Experiment and come to your own conclusions on heat-treated Citrine. If it works for you, that's the most important part of healing!

Where can I buy real Citrine?

We have your natural Real Citrine and your vibrant heat-treated Citrine stones at Satin Crystals. Check out the Citrine Collection or shop right here on the blog: 

 

Your Citrine Journeys

Disclaimer: The metaphysical information provided is for entertainment only. See full disclosure.

Filed in: citrine, crystal video, real vs fake stones
Previous article Fake vs Real Kyanite

Comments

Lisa Satin - September 13, 2023

Hello, Jay! Thanks for writing to us about your experiences with Citrine. We are happy to know that this is a powerful crystal for your spells. In regards to using natural vs. manmade Citrine, that is a personal preference. Here at Satin Crystals, many of our pieces are created from heated Amethyst. We indicate in the individual listings if a Citrine is natural or treated. People love both :)

Jay Harman - September 13, 2023

Being a male, and probably not accepted by Wiccan’s, I have a Citrine that I unknown of true origins. It is a piece that has been tumbled. It has sort of cracking looking marks inside like those you find in quartz. It is interesting how much spell casting requires certain types of stones/crystals in the practicing. Why not use man-made Citrine since the process has been around for hundreds of years? If we all had the rare real ones, there wouldn’t be anything left for the next generation of spell casters.

(As most people would argue that they don’t know what stone/crystal to buy, mine call to me. I go to a regular rock store that has a wide selection. Before purchasing, I handle a few samples and then walk around the store. Going back one vibration will be stronger than the others, that’s the one you buy.)

Lisa Satin - February 26, 2022

Hi Gail!

We are happy to hear that you liked the video.

Additional videos can be seen here:
https://satincrystals.com/pages/video-tutorials

Please reach out to us any time :)

Lisa Satin

Gail - February 26, 2022

Thank you for the informative citrine video! Its nice to visit your site.

Lisa Satin - January 27, 2022

Hi CC,

Yes, I recommend you go with your intuition.

Totally natural Citrine is rare.

In our whole collection of Citrine, we currently have one item that is not heat-treated nor enhanced:

https://satincrystals.com/collections/citrine/products/citrine-natural-point-believe-receive-real-abundance-stone-untreated-zambia

Everything else is heat-treated (and clearly specified in the listings). There’s nothing wrong with heat-treated but it’s nice to let the customers know!

I’m sure the right Citrine will come along for you soon!

Lisa

CC - January 27, 2022

Thanks for the great tip. I’ve inquired to the seller and they stated that it’s genuine and not heat treated nor enhanced. I was left a bit confused still. Would you say if I’m not clear on the crystal to not purchase it?

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