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Gemstone Spotlight: Citrine
Citrine Meaning, Properties and Benefits
What is Citrine?
Citrine’s color, ranging from honey to deep amber, is instantly recognizable. With the rising popularity of earth tones in fashion, the citrine crystal has a lot to offer. On top of its striking looks, this little sunshine stone packs a powerful metaphysical punch. But before we dive into the meaning of citrine, let’s look at how mother nature put together this gorgeous gem.
Citrine comes from a family of hexagonal crystal systems. If you know your crystals, then you’re automatically thinking “quartz”. Is citrine the same as quartz? Short answer, yes. However, this delightful golden-honey colored stone is obviously different from normal, clear quartz – but in what way?
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Citrine falls under the quartz umbrella along with many other popular stones such as tiger’s eye, amethyst, aventurine and more. All of these crystals have a quartz base plus a little something extra. In citrine’s case, that little something extra is oxidized iron. That dash of oxidation sets citrine apart from its quartz sisters and provides it with unique physical and metaphysical properties.
Small deposits of citrine crystals can be found all over the world from Russia to Madagascar, Portugal, the Congo and many countries in South America. Despite its wide geographical reach, this gemstone is still considered rare. Most citrine crystals on the market are man made from amethyst or smoky quartz in countries like Brazil and Uruguay.
Differences Between Natural Citrine and Heat-Treated Citrine
Time to ask the big question – is your citrine real? If most citrine on the market is made from heat treated amethyst, have you been bamboozled? Well, before you go throwing away precious healing crystals let’s take a step back and look at the big picture.
“Natural” citrine means just that, the crystal formed its honey-colored hue through pressure and heat within the earth. Does this make natural citrine “real” and heat-treated crystals “fake”?
In my opinion, the answer is a resounding no! Natural citrine is formed under intense heat and pressure from the earth. Heat-treated citrine is formed under the same circumstances but in a lab.
Either way, when heat is applied to quartz stones, oxidation and other changes occur that didn’t exist before (and cannot be undone) and thus citrine is created. Of course it’s nicer to have a stone sculpted by Mother Nature rather than a lab technician, but that doesn’t mean one is more “real” than the other. The metaphysical properties you sought out by owning a citrine crystal can come from both versions, so don’t stress too much.
That being said, you may still want to know how to identify a natural citrine stone vs a heat-treated one. The easiest way is to look at the color and its distribution. When citrine is naturally formed, a pale golden color is distributed evenly from tip to base. Smokey tones may be seen, but colors like deep amber or brown aren’t naturally forming citrine tones.
If you’re staring at your citrine crystal and it looks more like the one above, it may be heat-treated. The amber tips connecting onto a stark white base most likely indicate this was heat-treated and the darker orange-yellow hue suggests it probably started as amethyst (opposed to smoky quartz).
Is Citrine Expensive?
For the most part, not really. Although natural citrine is more expensive than heat-treated citrine, generally both are pretty affordable.
Small, polished stones can range from $5 to $20 and professionally cut gemstones don’t usually break $1000. Unlike diamonds, carat size is not the main determinant of price when it comes to citrine. The color, clarity and cut of the stone hold more value than its size. An expensive stone will have bold coloring, a masterful cut and very minimal inclusions.
Citrine makes a great alternative stone for jewelry. Besides its brilliant color, citrine can be cut into many shapes and polished to make high quality jewelry. With a Mohs hardness rating of 7, citrine gemstones are sturdy natural stones that will stand the test of time as well as wear and tear!
The Metaphysical Properties of Citrine
Citrine is sometimes called the “Sunshine Stone” for all the happiness and light it can bring into your life. Known as one of the stones of abundance, this bright little crystal attracts prosperity and growth in multiple ways.
Psychological and Emotional Benefits of Citrine:
- Brings good luck
- Boosts self-esteem and confidence
- Promotes positivity
- Improves motivation and self expression
- Establishes inner peace
- Encourages joy and optimism
- Drives personal growth
The meaning of citrine can be symbolized by the sun. Like sunlight, it has a way of seeping through the doom and gloom, bringing joy and positivity to unexpected situations. The sun holds great power and like the sun, citrine teaches you to harness your own inner power.
The citrine stone draws upon your solar plexus chakra, which promotes a profound sense of self respect and increases physical energy. Use citrine to strengthen your self assurance, find charisma, strong will and motivation. Set the boundaries you’ve been needing and find the confidence to enforce them.
You may see improvements in other aspects of your life as the trust you put in yourself grows. Self destructive tendencies may fade away. You may find it easier to focus, take criticism or overcome fears. A blossoming sense of calm and inner peace makes you more comfortable with self expression and leaves you open to new experiences.
Owning citrine means you have optimism and luck on your side, don’t let that go to waste. The next time you’re not feeling up to snuff, pick up a citrine crystal and empower yourself with the energy of this sunshine stone!
The Benefits of Citrine
Now that you know all the ways citrine can brighten your life, let’s discuss how to harness your new found power. First off, mindset. Be open to changes when they come your way. Crystals don’t make you a new person, but they can help filter distracting energy and allow you space to grow.
Meditation is an easy way to work through some of life’s obstacles. While holding your citrine, think of your intentions. What do you wish to accomplish? What’s standing in your way of growth – and be honest with yourself. Any private, quiet space can be a good setting for this sort of manifestation work.
Not interested in sitting around meditating with crystals? That’s okay, you’ve got tons of other options. Pack those puppies in your purse. Stick a tumbled stone in your pocket or set them around your bathtub. Wear crystal jewelry around your neck (my personal favorite option) or on your wrist. Being close to your crystal is key. If you’re going into a situation and you think your stone may help – take it with you! Citrine can be beneficial in a number of circumstances. We recommend having it with you during:
- New adventures
- Activities involving self expression
- Pursuits of wealth
- Times of confrontation
- Occasions requiring luck
- Pastimes with friends
- Times of intimacy
Now it’s time to bring some light into your life – start today! Whether you are interested in citrine’s healing properties or its physical beauty, head over to our store and see our selection of citrine jewelry!
In need of improved focus or building self confidence?
Maybe you just need some good luck?
It’s easy to discover new gemstones and their properties on our Gemstone Page.
*Medical Disclaimer: Gemstones should not be used as substitute for medical treatment. Just because a crystal or stone is alleged to have one or more healing properties, either physical, mental, emotional or spiritual, it does not mean that you, personally, will definitely experience, or benefit from, any such properties. Gemstones are not proven to help with any illness. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing a medical issue, seek professional medical advice.
Did you know gemstones align with zodiac signs? Not to say you can’t benefit from a gem that’s not associated with your zodiac sign, but each sign seems to be especially receptive to these certain gems.
Citrine is the stone for Cancers! Those born in late June and early July can heavily benefit from adding citrine to their lives. As well, those born in November are sensitive to the citrine crystal especially when paired with topaz!
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Meet the Creator
Hi there! My name is Karina. I am the creator behind the handmade jewelry website, Kcrafts.net. It’s my goal that my customers feel comfortable and project confidence everyday! I accomplish that by sharing knowledge about gemstones and jewelry (mixed with a dash of motivation and fashion inspiration!). Follow Kcrafts on social media or check out the shop to see what it’s all about.
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