Ametrine

A beautiful stone, brought about by the natural fusion of Amethyst and Citrine – giving the stone orange and purple patches. Especially fine quality pieces may have a distinct division between the two colours.

There is a significant amount of fake or heat treated Ametrine available on the market. It can also be confused quite easily with Amethyst with iron staining or other inclusions. All of the natural Ametrine available on the market comes from Bolivia.

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Appearance, Uses and History

Numerous materials are often mistaken for or missold as Ametrine. Synthetically heated Amethyst is often sold as Citrine; it is possible for this heat treatment to be done only on part of the crystal by keeping another part cooler.

In addition, ferruginous Quartz can confuse some; it is a form of Quartz which contains Iron inclusions. In a lot of cases, this causes an orange-red crystal which may be mistaken for Citrine. Iron stained Quartz/Amethyst may have a similar appearance, too.

Ametrine is exclusively used as a gemstone or a decorative stone.

The better quality pieces have a good division between their purple and orange colours; as with most gems, the clarity and colour is very important in defining the quality of the crystal.

Locales

The Anahi mine in Bolivia is by far the most significant source of gem quality Ametrine; possibly the only source.

Mineralogy

Chemistry
Silicon Dioxide – SiO2 – a variety of Quartz.
Colours and Variations
Yellowy-orange, purple, bi-coloured stone.
Streak
White
Luster
Vitreous
Fracture
Conchoidal
Crystal habit
Mohs hardness
7
Specific Gravity
2.63 – 2.65
Easiest testing method
Common Treatments
There is a significant amount of artifically created Ametrine available.

Hazards and Warnings

Almost all rocks, minerals (and, frankly, almost all other substances on earth) can produce toxic dust when cutting, which can cause serious respiratory conditions including silicosis.

When cutting or polishing rocks, minerals, shells, etc, all work should be done wet to minimise the dust, and a suitable respirator or extraction system should be used.

Translations

Arabic:

  • أميترين

Hindi:

Portuguese:

  • ametrina

Bengali:

Indonesian:

Punjabi:

English:

  • Ametrine
  • bolivianite
  • Trystine

Italian:

Russian:

  • аметрин

French:

  • amétrine

Japanese:

  • アメトリン

Spanish:

  • ametrina

German:

  • Ametrin

Korean:

  • 아메 트린

Thai:

  • อเมทริน

Gujurati:

Mandarin and Traditional Chinese:

Urdu:

Further Reading / External Links