In this post, we reveal everything you need to know about citrine, including its meaning, benefits and properties. Let's get started!
Introduction
Citrine, citrine, citrine… where do we begin? There are few Earth-bound crystals with the ability to pull a human into its vortex, quite like this stone can. Many citrine enthusiasts tell of how they were merely walking past a storefront, when this glimmering stone called them in. Are you and citrine meant to be?
In this article we discuss the following:
- What is Citrine?
- Citrine Pronunciation
- How is Citrine Formed?
- Where is Citrine Found?
- Brazilian Citrine
- Congo Citrine
- Madagascar Citrine
- Is Citrine a Quartz?
- Yellow Quartz vs Citrine
- Citrine Meaning
- Citrine Birthstone
- Citrine Chakra
- Citrine Spiritual Meaning
- Citrine Stone Benefits
- How to Use Citrine
- Where to Place Citrine in the Home
- Citrine Stone Side Effects
- Citrine Properties
- Citrine Healing Properties
- Citrine Metaphysical Properties
- Citrine Color
- Citrine Colors
- Lemon Citrine
- Honey Citrine
- Golden Citrine
- Green Citrine
- Blue Citrine
- Red Citrine
- Brown Citrine
- White Citrine
- Black Citrine
- Pink Citrine
- Purple Citrine
- Types Of Citrine
- Natural Citrine
- Madeira Citrine
- Citrine Cluster
- Citrine Geode
- Tumbled Citrine
- Star Citrine
- Heat Treated Citrine
- Citrine Uses
- Citrine Jewelry
- Citrine Ring
- Citrine Necklace
- Citrine Earrings
- Citrine Bracelet
- Which Hand to Wear Citrine Bracelet
- Citrine Bracelet Benefits
- Citrine Price
- Is Citrine Expensive?
- Citrine Care
- How to Clean Citrine Crystal
What is Citrine?
To put it very simply, citrine is the pale yellow/brown rendition of regular quartz crystal. It’s a quartz derived stone, holding the same transparency and crystalline formation.
Citrine stone is a widely used healing crystal with many significant functions. It’s a unique showcase of tones and colors, with no two pieces ever really looking like the same entity.
Citrine crystal can be used for energetic, metaphysical and physical healing purposes, as well as simply for aesthetic reasons, such as in jewelry, though we will dive deeper into this toward the end of this piece. Stick around!
Citrine Pronunciation
There is worldwide confusion around the proper pronunciation of the word ‘citrine’. Naturally, it depends on where you are from and the particular dialect you make use of as you speak, but, as a global standard, the correct pronunciation of citrine is ‘sit-reen’.
The word sounds a lot like ‘citrus’, which can be helpful in remembering how to say it properly. Consider that citrine stone bears the same color as some citrus fruits, such as oranges and lemons, thus making for a memorable likening.
How is Citrine Formed?
There is an important distinction to appreciate when dealing with citrine, namely that all forms of citrine can be divided into two categories: natural, and manmade.
Citrine occurs when certain existing crystals are treated with heat, to the point where the high temperatures cause their physical appearance to change quite drastically. This is usually done above ground, with humanity's influence, however there are instances where this heat treatment occurs naturally under the Earth due to fluctuating elements and minerals.
Treating amethyst or smokey quartz with intense levels of heat is one way of producing citrine.
Where is Citrine Found?
Brazilian Citrine
Naturally occurring citrine is today considered to be somewhat uncommon, even rare. Citrine crystal makers need generous amounts of amethyst or smokey quartz in order to continue to supply the demand for citrine worldwide. One of the most reliable amethyst deposits on the planet is found in Brazil and, as a result, a lot of the global supply of citrine is indirectly coming from there.
Congo Citrine
Not that long ago, the Democratic Republic of Congo surprised the world with the discovery of the Lwena Citrine Deposits, that had naturally formed under the ground in abundance.
This wasn’t the first African citrine, as Zambia had been supplying significant amounts in the years prior.
Congolese citrine is now a highly sought after crystal, with many individuals seeking the addition of a piece to their existing crystal collections. In the Congo, citrine is sometimes referred to as Kundalini Quartz.
Madagascar Citrine
Citrine in Madagascar was one of the earlier discoveries of naturally forming citrine that required no influence from humanity in order to come to be.
Much of the resources have been depleted, though there are still small deposits being discovered as excavations continue. A lot of the citrine coming from Madagascar is tumbled prior to export, giving it a recognizably smooth look and feel. Despite being tumbled, these stones remain untreated and entirely natural in formation.
Is Citrine a Quartz?
Citrine is indeed a variant of quartz crystal, a stone that we know to be abundant and rich upon the Earth. How is this so?
Well, both amethyst and smokey quartz are derivatives of regular quartz, so, by default, any stones that occur as a product of these two would automatically also be a derivative of quartz crystal.
It’s a complex structure that involves mutation during crystallization, but the most important fact is simply that indeed, these are variants of quartz stone. Even natural citrine vs heat treated citrine both qualify as quartz derivatives.
Yellow Quartz vs Citrine
The confusion really kicks in when one considers that there exists yellow quartz, in addition to citrine quartz. These are not the same stones, by any stretch.
Yellow quartz occurs when regular quartz takes on a yellow hue during the formation process, due to the presence of specific minerals in the Earth. There is no heat requirement, and yellow quartz does not need to first be amethyst, or smokey quartz, in order to exist.
On that note, be careful to not confuse a piece of citrine with yellow calcite, either. These two bear very similar aesthetic features, and mistaking them for each other is a common error made by collectors. The question of citrine vs calcite is a subject for another post; suffice it to say that the two stones serve very different purposes to Earth-bound users.
Similarly, citrine vs amber is another distinction worth making. Amber is in no way related to citrine, and occurs independently.
Citrine Meaning
In a physical sense, citrine holds quite a profound meaning in that it is quite literally magic and transformation taking place right before our eyes. The citrine stone meaning can be summarized into the following: change the conditions, change the entity.
To produce citrine quartz, we simply add heat. Visually, all that seems to change is the color of the stone, but, on a metaphysical level, this process has invited in a myriad of new properties that work to aid the user in ways that the stone would never have been able to do prior to the treatment.
It’s a remarkable process to be able to bear witness to; some liken it to playing god, in a sense.
Citrine Birthstone
Citrine crystals are linked to the birth month of November. Any individuals celebrating their birth during this time could receive profound benefit from working with a citrine gemstone, consciously or subconsciously (crystal jewelry is a form of subconscious energetic work).
Citrine shares November with another gem known as topaz. Both are incredibly calming stones, so there is no harm in making use of them simultaneously.
Citrine Chakra
Crystals usually link themselves to one or more of the human chakras, and you can generally tell which one based on the physical color of the stone in question.
Blue crystals, for example, work closely with the blue energy center, also known as the throat, while green stones reflect green ray energy, which corresponds with the heart chakra.
The orange chakra, as we know it, corresponds with the sacrum. It is considered to be the second of the seven chakras, starting with the root (red ray energy). The sacral chakra lies just above the root, in the center of the lower belly. Moving upward from here, we find the solar plexus, the heart, the throat, the third eye and finally the crown.
Citrine Spiritual Meaning
Physicality aside, there is no denouncing the metaphysical citrine crystal meaning. As mentioned, the fact that this stone generates new abilities and metaphysical properties, simply by adding heat, is testament enough that we are in the presence of a highly intelligent stone and energy.
Spiritually, working with citrine could represent profound transformation: the kind that is very difficult to put into Earth-bound words. It’s safe to say that this stone has access and contact with parts of your spiritual being that you likely haven’t tapped into yet, making the opportunities endless with regards to what may come up over the course of your work.
Citrine Stone Benefits
Perhaps the most major of the citrine benefits is that it is one of few stones that seems to have the ability to work with anyone and everyone. Certain crystals require a very specific standard of openness from their potential users. They need consent and faith before they are able to benefit from their properties and make real strides forward.
Citrine is like that friend who asks for forgiveness instead of asking for permission, only you won’t ever need to grant forgiveness because the intervention will always be exactly what you needed at that time.
We wouldn’t call citrine invasive, but we would say that this is a crystal that is going to do the work, whether you’re consciously on board or not. There is great benefit in having this kind of an ally around.
How to Use Citrine
There are many different ways that one can tap into the citrine powers on a daily basis. Wearing citrine as jewelry, keeping a piece nearby at all times, or holding a small stone in the palm of your hand during meditation are all great ways of reaping the rewards that the stone has to offer.
For more intense energetic work, we recommend investing in either a citrine point or a citrine generator. These two structures have strong forces within them that give the citrine the power to direct the flow of energy in the most effective manner.
Points and generators are widely known as being the most effective modes of crystal healing, and vital components to any well-equipped crystal collection.
Where to Place Citrine in the Home
If your intention is to have citrine in the home, for the purpose of very general healing and spatial purification, allow us to recommend raw citrine.
Raw stones have a significantly more effective impact on vaster spaces, due to the fact that they have not been tumbled or polished down to more appealing formations. This means that none of the crystal is lost for the purpose of making it more aesthetically-friendly, and you’re going to have a stronger stone in your midst at all times.
Citrine is a contributor to good feng shui, therefore this stone is best placed in the areas you would consider to be the most “lived in” in areas of your house. This tends to be the living room, den or, in some cases, the bedroom.
Citrine feng shui is a form of energetic healing all on its own, and should absolutely be taken advantage of by anyone with the means and the space.
Citrine Stone Side Effects
Because citrine is such a potent and intense healer, there are instances where the frequency of this crystal may catch you slightly off guard. Too frequent contact, or too intense a practice, may render you a bit dizzy or disoriented.
Note that this is extremely rare and uncommon, and those individuals who find they are incredibly sensitive to this stone are encouraged to simply leave a gap between uses. Work with citrine every second day, as opposed to every day, and don’t wear citrine jewelry for too long periods without breaks.
If you feel as though you have a headache when you are in the presence of these stones, don’t be alarmed. Many healing crystals can induce the sensation of head-discomfort, due to the powerful force being emitted from the crystalline structure.
Citrine Properties
Citrine Healing Properties
As mentioned, citrine gemstones have both physical and metaphysical healing properties.
On a physical scale, citrine is incredibly energizing and revitalizing to the human body. It has the potential to reverse any diseases associated with the degeneration of the physical form, whilst also aiding in the balance of vital chemicals and minerals.
A lot of users have seen benefits in the treatment of diabetes, as well as spleen and pancreatic disorders. Citrine will stimulate your digestion, while simultaneously negating kidney and bladder infections.
Citrine Metaphysical Properties
On a very literal scale, citrine is an attractor of wealth, success and prosperity. It holds the energy of the sun, and is thus an abundant, powerful gemstone.
The main properties of citrine stem from its connection to the sacral chakra. This energetic hub is solely responsible for our self esteem, and the levels of positive energy flow throughout the human body.
A citrine gem has the potential to cause you to take action in your life. It is optimistic, cheerful and very integrative of all of the other chakras, even when this kind of work is not intentionally sought after.
Citrine Color
Is it orange? Is it yellow? The citrine color chart can be an impossible one to navigate, considering that there are even variants of citrine showing themselves in blue, red and green ray energy.
So, what color is citrine anyway? Industry standard considers citrine to be an orange or brownish stone, with variants of reddish-orange every so often. Yellow presenting citrine is also very common, though the deeper the stone moves into orange ray energy the more valuable it is considered to be.
Citrine Colors
Lemon Citrine
Citrine and lemon citrine possess no differences aside from the shade of color that exhibits itself between one stone to the next. There are some retailers who will merely refer to lemon citrine as yellow citrine, knowing that they are one and the same.
Note that lemon citrine and yellow quartz are different stones, and there is often confusion amongst uninformed sellers who don’t take the time to distinguish one between the other. Lemon citrine is very often sold off as yellow quartz, and vice versa.
Honey Citrine
Honey citrine is the name we use to refer to orange citrine that is reflecting more of a honey-ray than a solid orange one.
Honey citrine is no different to regular citrine, other than the color being slightly more distinguishable in a line up. This all boils down to personal preference, and if you prefer a richer orange stone you should pick this one out of the batch.
Golden Citrine
Golden citrine is an endearing name used by some in the crystal healing world to refer to orange or honey citrine.
Certain deposits produce a citrine so golden in color that it may refract light in a similar way to fool’s gold or pyrite, were they transparent.
Green Citrine
Lemon citrine isn’t always undeniably yellow in color ray. Sometimes, these crystals can take on a very slight, but very distinct green tinge, moving them toward almost a lime-like hue.
Green citrine would be the correct way to refer to lemon citrine that has taken on this very slight green look. These crystals usually only occur in very tiny portions, making them ideal only for jewelry making.
Blue Citrine
As you scour the crystal market for that “just right” piece of citrine for your collection, you may find some retailers offering something called blue citrine.
Citrine, in all its glory, unfortunately does not occur in blue ray energy, at least not naturally, anyway. Blue citrine is simply a mislabeling of what we know to be topaz, as this stone has the potential to crystallize in a range of different color rays.
Red Citrine
Sometimes natural orange citrine takes on such a deep and dark formation process that it shifts right into red ray energy without much effort.
Red citrine is merely the darkest orange hue possible within a crystal before turning brown or black. It is not incorrect to refer to dark citrine as red citrine, as long as one remembers that the color does not affect the properties of the stone in question.
Brown Citrine
Similarly, when red citrine continues to deepen and darken it will eventually enter what is known as brown ray energy.
Brown citrine remains as useful as regular citrine; all that is different is the ray energy of the stone and how it looks to the person observing it. For some, brown stones are more visually appealing or attractive, thus making for the perfect home for these citrine variants.
White Citrine
The process of heating amethyst or smokey quartz can be seen as a kind of ‘bleaching’, in a sense that any existing hues are wiped out and replaced with yellow or orange. When this happens, there are unavoidable amounts of stone that are left entirely clear, possessing no coloration at all.
This is how clear citrine comes to be. Consider a massive amount of newly bleached crystal; some parts of the body will be yellow or orange, while smaller parts will have remained or become crystal clear or colorless.
When this stone is eventually broken down, it is inevitable that there will be pieces of purely clear citrine, ones that didn’t manage to get a share of the colored sections during the cutting process. We call these lucky stones white citrine or clear citrine.
Black Citrine
Black citrine is a term that is thrown around a lot online, despite the fact that no physical manifestation of this stone actually exists.
Our best guess is that there are some individuals out there who are working with smokey quartz under the impression that this is merely a form of black citrine that is yet to be shifted into orange or yellow ray energy.
Pink Citrine
When you see pink citrine being sold off in a market, make an effort to remember that this specific crystal does not occur in pink ray energy. What you’re seeing is likely pink calcite, or rose quartz, that has been mislabeled under a very false, nonexistent narrative.
On this note, steer clear of these retailers as it is evident that they are somewhat uninformed when it comes to healing stones. One mislabeling is enough to assume there to be a handful more mislabeled crystals among their offering.
Purple Citrine
Since citrine occurs when purple amethyst is treated with heat, there are occasions where the purple ray energy doesn’t leave the stone entirely.
The result is a beautiful combination stone, featuring half of the amethyst body and half of the citrine. It becomes almost like an ombre effect, with both stones blending beautifully into one another.
Amethyst citrine is a powerful and worthwhile stone to work with for the purpose of energetic healing.
Types Of Citrine
Natural Citrine
In spite of forming in different visual colors, there are also many different variants of citrine stone on a physiological level. Untreated citrine is also natural citrine, and these are the stones that have the ability to occur on their own beneath the surface of the Earth, without human intervention.
Natural citrine requires an existing amethyst or smokey quartz deposit be exposed to the necessary levels of heat so that the transformation of one stone into the other can take place.
Madeira Citrine
Santa Ana Madeira citrine is one of the most valuable citrine formations on the market, partially due to how rare it is to come across one of these crystal derivatives.
On the islands of Madeira, small amounts of citrine were found to be quite abundant in certain amethyst deposits.
Madeira citrine is an intensely saturated stone, generally with a reddish-orange or reddish-brown tone that is vastly different to what we have come to identify as regular citrine. The more red the stone, the more valuable it is.
These citrine stones are known for having impeccable clarity, and almost no inclusions that are visible to the naked eye. This makes them suitable for high-end jewelry pieces.
Citrine Cluster
Since amethyst forms within geodes, you can rest assured that natural formations of citrine do, too!
When a geode is broken open to reveal the citrine wonders within, the citrine can be broken up into clusters for resale. These make for fantastic raw pieces to keep in the home, or even on your work desk for the purpose of purifying surrounding energy.
It goes without saying that citrine clusters are far more potent, frequency wise, than an individual unit of citrine.
Citrine Geode
What came first, the cluster or the geode? Like the chicken and the egg, it’s difficult to say considering none of us can be down there when these formations take place.
In all likelihood, it’s the geode, and when cracked open they give us access to a world of healing and energetic affection beyond our wildest dreams, especially within the context of citrine.
A citrine geode can make for an exceptional home-display piece, if you can get your hands on one. Natural citrine is so few and far between that when it is found in such a generous formation it is usually chipped up for the resale to multiple people as opposed to just one.
Tumbled Citrine
When stones are raw and fresh out of the Earth, they tend to be unevenly shaped and even sharp on certain ends.
We address this through a process known as tumbling. Tumbling involves putting citrine into a machine that simply tumbles it around until all sharp or defined edges are eroded away, leaving a smooth, polished stone instead.
Tumbled stones are best for physical healing work, as they are more comfortable to place on the body.
Star Citrine
Citrine is one of few crystals to still be carved by hand into star formations. The purpose of this dates back to Ancient India, though it is unclear as to why this was a sought after form of these crystals. Historians guess that it likely has something to do with generating multiple crystal points in one stone, for the purpose of directing the flow of energy.
Heat Treated Citrine
Another way of referring to manmade versions of this stone is to call it heat treated citrine. When heating does not occur naturally beneath the Earth, amethyst and smokey quartz have to be excavated and treated in laboratories in order for citrine to be produced.
This is a way of transforming a crystal with unified intent, as opposed to waiting for it to occur on its own over what might be hundreds or thousands of years beneath the Earth’s surface.
Citrine Uses
What is citrine used for? All of the aforementioned uses include that of spiritual purification, bodily purification and home purification.
Citrine energy can also be harnessed through the use of a crystal ball. A citrine crystal ball is formed when a generous portion of this stone is tumbled to the point of forming a perfect sphere, resembling what we’ve come to identify as a psychic ball in popular culture.
Citrine may also be used for the purpose of cleansing one’s drinking water, which is a benefit that is very often overlooked. Citrine is a water-safe stone, and thus can be placed in the bottom of a drinking glass or water bottle for the purification of the liquid within.
This is a great way of delivering healing frequencies throughout the body, especially if there are physical ailments that need tending to.
Citrine Jewelry
Citrine Ring
Crystal jewelry remains one of the best ways to reap the rewards of crystal healing on a daily basis, and without much effort.
Natural citrine jewelry puts you in direct contact with the stones as you move from A to B, leaving little need for you to sit and harness the energy using intention. A citrine ring will live on your finger, so to speak, offering gentle, consistent contact with the frequency of the stone.
Crystal rings are great allies during mediation.
Citrine Necklace
A citrine necklace sits in close proximity to your heart chakra. Though citrine is not directly concerned with this energetic hub, it does have quite a profound ability to unblock and heal any imbalance that may be occurring here.
Gift a citrine necklace to anyone celebrating a birthday during the month of November. Citrine necklaces can also be used as pendulums, as this is a stone that is perfectly suited to this function.
Citrine Earrings
Because natural citrine occurs in such small deposits, it is the perfect stone for the making of crystal earrings. Having very small pieces of citrine on each ear, as you go about your day, can offer quite intense energetic work for the third eye and crown chakras.
Citrine earrings are usually considered to be quite valuable, and may cost a pretty penny to become the owner of.
Citrine Bracelet
Which Hand to Wear Citrine Bracelet
Yes, there is a wrong hand upon which you can wear your citrine bracelet. For the purpose of the most effective path to healing, citrine should be worn on the right hand, and right hand only.
In this regard, it is believed that the stone can more deeply penetrate your personal frequency, leading to a more significant manifestation of the possible benefits of the stone.
Citrine Bracelet Benefits
We wear citrine on the wrist when we are interested in physical healing. As mentioned, citrine has a myriad of benefits for the human body, especially with regards to balancing vital chemicals and aiding conditions such as diabetes.
The wrists are the most direct pathway into the human bloodstream, giving the stones opportunity to travel into the rest of the body. Wearing a citrine bracelet daily could mark the start of your journey toward wellness and better health.
Citrine Price
Is Citrine Expensive?
As it so happens, this is not a vastly expensive stone; however citrine value depends entirely on the type of citrine in question.
Rare, naturally occurring citrine retails for a lot more than man made renditions do, purely because there is never a high enough supply to cater to the demand. If you see citrine crystal for sale, you can generally easily tell whether it is natural or man made simply by referring to the price.
Man made citrine sells for well under $5 a piece, give or take. These pieces can be palm-sized, or come in a bag of multiple smaller pieces.
Natural citrine can retail for upward of $40, in some instances, especially when it is included in jewelry. It is not unlikely to find citrine clusters or geodes selling for around $30.
Citrine Care
How to Clean Citrine Crystal
In some respects, citrine is actually a powerful self-cleansing stone. What this means is that it doesn’t accumulate negative energy like other stones do, as it has the ability to cleanse itself when the build up becomes too severe.
That being said, there is no harm in taking extra care in keeping your stone in prime working condition, and often this involves performing a cleansing and recharging ritual at least once a month.
Use any of the following methods to cleanse and recharge your citrine stone:
- Submerge citrine in salt water and leave it here for up to 24 hours.
- Bury citrine in the garden and leave it here for up to 48 hours.
- Leave citrine under the light of the full moon every month, retrieving it only the following day.
- Meditate with your citrine in the palm of your hand, setting the intention for cleansing using your mind.
- Burn incense or herbs over citrine, setting the same intention for cleansing as you do.
- Hold citrine under running water for a solid minute, and then towel dry.
- Place citrine on a bed of Himalayan salt, and allow it to recharge here for as long as possible.
Conclusion
We hope you have enjoyed this post on citrine crystals!
If you are interested in incorporating crystals into your life, you should consider a mindful breathing necklace made of a crystal that resonates with you. Mindful breathing jewelry made of crystals not only help provide the benefits of the crystal you choose to wear, but they can also be used to help slow your breath, leading to a greater sense of calm and serenity. Also, if you are interested in reading more about anxiety and crystals, check out our comprehensive blog post on the 15 Best Crystals for Anxiety!
Did You Enjoy This Article?
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