Citrine druzy specimens (Heat treated Amethyst)

Citrine druzy specimens (Heat treated Amethyst)

Pieces of Amethyst druzy that have been artificially heated to induce an orange colouration that is often sold as Citrine.

Most of the Citrine on the market today is altered - Amethyst or Smoky Quartz are heated in an industrial oven to give them a burnt caramel yellow colour - although dark brown and green colours can be achieved with the correct temperature and length of treatment.

The reason behind this is purely financial - Citrine is uncommon and Amethyst is fairly common. I've got pieces of both heat treated and natural Citrine - you can see the difference easily enough.

Naturally heated Citrine tends to be clear/transparent and does not grow in the geode 'druzy' fragments that are typical of heat treated Amethyst, most of which is made in Brazil, Uruguay and the surrounding area.

Heat treated Amethyst tends to have large white areas at the bottom of the 'root' of the crystals. It varies from a caramel colour to a dark red brown. In some cases, it becomes very brittle with the white areas being particularly fragile.

All of our current stock comes from Minas Gerais, Brazil.