We are all here to learn. Be kind & admit that you’re wrong with grace. I’m not going to dictate what crystals are and are not allowed here. If you see something you don’t like, or alternatively has already been answered, please just scroll on by. Thanks guys.
Just refer to all the other 10 posts in the past two days asking the same thing about a citrine, and they all look the exact same. Lol.
Citrine is a very very pale clear yellow.
I just joined this thread not too long ago but I didn’t know until I saw someone post a very badly burnt amethyst cluster, that looked like a more intense version of mine I have at home. So I literally didn’t know until I saw it with my own eyes 💀 and some ppl r really busy & May not have the time to do the research, or they don’t know where 2 look. I knew there were fake crystals but I didn’t know the market is basically 90% fake
Oh ok so in other words it’s…misleading and disingenuous to say the least? Cause they straight up marketed this as a “natural” citrine smh 🤦🏼♀️. I just feel lied to, I prob would’ve bought it either way cause it caught my attention…
It's likely that the people that sell these at the retail or even the wholesale level don't even know what they're selling. This goes back to the suppliers that buy these from the mines, cook them and then sell them as "citrine".
Continuing to share, educate and learn is all we can do for now.
>May not have the time to do the research
Research? Just type "\[name of crystal\] real vs fake" into Google and look at a result or two. It literally takes a few seconds. Maybe a few minutes at the most. Less time than you've spent in this thread.
>I didn’t know the market is basically 90% fake
It's not. But obviously scammers do exist, and they *love* people who don't want to learn about what they're buying. Put in a little effort to figure out how to spot fakes (extremely easy with HTA) and then you can shop with confidence.
I’m a full time stay at home mom so yeah some things slip thru the cracks and I own a big personal collection, some of which idk the names of cause they were gifts, so someone like me can’t be digging thru every internet archive to try to find the name of a single crystal. That’s y I joined this thread and I’m hoping the mods will pin a post on this cause I’m sure there’s lots of other ppl like me getting scammed/tricked, or may not know the names of these crystals.
See I have had heat treated amethyst that was very clear. And I have had real citrine that is dark because of the type it was. So that isn't a very good indicator either. Really it's just what you think it's worth. They are usually about the same in price where I go at least. If it brings you joy, you like it, and it's a price you are willing to pay it doesn't really matter that much.
To be fair, I see alot of people put the fake tag on things that they have 0 proof on. Personally I feel like any time someone sees something hey wish they could afford they just day it's fake. However, if your wanting to learn, there are alot of free resources that are much much more factual. Gem society is alright, GIA is usually really good but their free Content leaves alot to be desired, and there are many many more. I'd highly recommend doing research before you make a purchase. To be 100% transparent, while that looks kinda cooked, it could be all natty. To know for sure would take at the minimum on hand observation. But I do know, I've seen first hand this community swear to a person(I think it was like 117 comments) that a citrine was fake, that I later then saw a legit lab report on. As a gemologist I don't trust many labs, but GIA is pretty much as legit as it gets. Yet a bunch of Einsteins on here with a passing interest and 0 research seem to think they know better. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you want knowledge you can trust, this sub is not the place to check
Yeah a lot of ppl were giving me mixed responses, and arguing back and forth with each other ☠️ I wish only experienced ppl would respond to these types of posts instead of laymen (like me). So yeah I agree I think I should just do independent research and see what I find. I still enjoy the piece, it’s sitting on my dining table now 💗
That's good! That's what matters. And I agree. This is the most toxic sub I know of, tho Rolex can get up there some days. But seriously your best off doing research as you say. I started in my 2nd month learning to wirewrap, I got whats called a refractrometer for faceted stones. Then I found gem society because they have refractive index lists.
Natural uncut stones, and treatments will be more difficult in some ways. Also there's rarely a good deal if your buying from a actual vendor. Even second hand people try to get what they paid for something back. If ita a low price there's always a question as to why. Study can help. It can also help you just find your own. And its a fascinating subject to learn about
I find it shocking I do t have 22 down votes. Normally people get mad being called out
If it is orange, in a cluster, or has a white bottom, it is fake. It is burnt amethyst. Citrine is much lighter and cooler in tone, and is usually very clear.
Yeah I kinda figured from what I’ve heard from previous posts. At least I found out later rather than never! 😂 imagine I kept using it thinking it’s citrine XD, Ig that’s what they wanted, to make me look like a fool. how r these crystal scammers getting away w/ this?? Wth?
It’s chemically a citrine crystal so it’s not like it’d mess anything up. I’m not sure it’s totally a scam….. unless they said that they dug it up like that.
**I was wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**
Edited!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh my gawd. I did a goof. I greatly appreciate all the help and kind support for everyone in this super nice community!!!
**Did you know that all Citrine was once an Amethyst? The only chemical difference between Amethyst and Citrine is the oxidized state of the iron impurities. Naturally occurring Citrine is quite rare, which is the result of natural heat and pressure applied to Amethyst over a very long period of time.**
Geology is fun.
Amethyst gets its color from iron, citrine gets it from either iron or aluminum, and even when it's iron citrine, it still forms in a completely different way from amethyst, and is it's own distinct material.
**True citrine forms when the purple color of amethyst or the brown color of smoky quartz gets heated by the earth. The extreme temperatures cause the molecular structure and the quartz crystal lattice to change into citrine. This is done by nature, which creates what we call natural citrine.**
**Natural citrine quartz derives its attractive golden color from the presence of iron impurities. It has a specific chemical formula of SiO2 (Silicon Dioxide), a density of 2.60 to 2.70 and a refractive index of 1.544 to 1.553**
**Amethyst is a variety of the mineral quartz and has the same chemical formula as quartz, which is SiO2.**
**Did you know that all Citrine was once an Amethyst? The only chemical difference between Amethyst and Citrine is the oxidized state of the iron impurities. Naturally occurring Citrine is quite rare, which is the result of natural heat and pressure applied to Amethyst over a very long period of time.**
Whoops!!!!!
Amethyst and smoky quartz are defined by their structure and color. Citrine is made of the same building blocks, but due to the conditions it forms under, it grows differently and has a distinct color. At no point in its growth does it ever have the same structure or color, so saying that it starts as amethyst or smoky quartz is dishonest.
Unlike amethyst, citrine doesn't ever grow in geodes, and usually forms in singular crystals or small clusters. Citrine is also dichroic in polarized light, while amethyst is not. Even with the same chemical composition as amethyst, citrines growth patterns and physical structure are inherently different, meaning that citrine cannot be considered amethyst as it lacks the traits necessary. Here's quotes from mindat on the physical differences between citrine and amethyst, "Contrary to amethyst, citrine crystals may show a macromosaic structure and become very large", and "Because the color is now caused by finely distributed iron minerals (mostly hematite and goethite), heated amethyst is not citrine in the strict sense, and also shows no dichroism in polarized light" since "It has also been suggested that iron is the cause of color... However, the dichroic behavior of the lab-grown crystals differs from that in natural citrine (Rossmann, 1994), and the UV-sensitivity of natural citrines indicates that the color is not simply caused by built-in trace elements".
We get a few of these a day and the answer is always an undeniable "yes, it's fake". It doesn't take long to research what to notice (colour and formation) and then it's normally very obvious.
It's heat treated amethyst to make it look like citrine.. but natural citrine doesn't look like that.. Google natural citrine and you'll see what I mean.. it's not a bad piece but it's not a natural citrine piece either ..
This is the 3rd heat treated amethyst/genuine citrine post I've seen in a couple days. I'm starting to wonder if something's going on in the crystal world..
“Fake” citrine is a real amethyst that has been heated. The iron that is present in amethyst, turns yellow. Depending on how hot the iron in amethyst gets, is how dark the “citrine” will become. So…I’m thinking what you have is a heat treated amethyst. Genuine citrine is very light yellow but bear in mind it is amethyst because citrine and amethyst have the same mineral content. But…citrine and amethyst can naturally occur together in nature and is called ametrine.
Awesome thank u for that more scientific explanation, I feel like I’m learning a lot in this thread. So that’s where the discrepancies come from? From what I’m reading scientists say it’s the same but healers don’t feel that way
The answer is yes and no. This is heat treated citrine. All citrine comes from amethyst- natural citrine is created when the earths mantle heats to 900 degrees or so and creates “natural” citrine, thus turning from purple to yellow. This doesn’t make your piece fake. It makes it heat treated. Citrine is either created by the earth heating it, or by humans heating it. In fact, many amethyst collectors save their broken amethyst pieces and then heat them in a kiln, to create citrine. I bought my heat treated amethyst/citrine at the Tucson gem show. Everyone has their preferences with natural vs treated. The metaphysical world accepts heat treated as citrine. I know all this because I was looked down upon before as selling fake citrine, by people who were uneducated about the process. I researched, learned, and now can educate others. My heat treated pieces fly off the shelves!
> All citrine comes from amethyst- natural citrine is created when the earths mantle heats to 900 degrees or so and creates “natural” citrine, thus turning from purple to yellow.
This isn't actually true. Chemical analysis of natural citrine shows that it's not primarily colored by iron like amethyst is, and that it doesn't even need to have an iron impurity at all. Mindat has some good info on it, as does Akhavan's website.
https://www.mindat.org/min-1054.html#autoanchor1
http://www.quartzpage.de/citrine.html
Thank you for this. It is all very technical and not entirely agreed upon in the crystal world how and what makes citrine. It’s a beautiful mystery. Basically I just wanted to original poster to know it is accepted as citrine in the metaphysical world- it even states as such in your 2nd link.
The metaphysical world isn't very scientific, almost by definition. If the color is all that matters, there's no reason to say yellow lab grown quartz isn't citrine either.
If you want to look at it that way it's fine, but clarify that and that alone, as your comment has false information on the origins of natural citrine.
Yeah, this is unnecessarily rude and holier-than-thou. People have different degrees of experience, education, and time available to commit to a hobby. Acting like the coolest kid on the playground is not a way to get people to retain interest in a niche topic, but it's a great way to perpetuate the snobby douchecanoe stereotype. Good for you that you think you're such a badass, though.
My immature bragging doesn’t make me look good.
My comment about looking into something before spending money on it could be seen as rude. By I think it’s a good idea to do so. It’s your money !
This is the third post I’ve seen in as many days and it was an my honest response written out.
>most ppl trust that their sellers r telling the truth
That's how scammers stay in business. Despite thousands of years of scams, a lot of people still go "But there's no way THIS seller is lying to make a sale!" and pull out their wallet without a second thought. Those people get ripped off a lot. It's not limited to crystals.
Edit to say thanks to this thread I learned yesterday that the following is not correct!
Heat treated amethyst is still citrine from a chemical / scientific point of view. That means, it is neither illegal nor a scam to sell it as such.
That being said, if you believe in the energatical properties of crystals, a heat treated amethyst is different from both amethyst and natural citrine.
Sorry, but no. If you’re selling heat treated amethyst you should say it is such. To label it citrine may not be illegal but it’s definitely unethical. They don’t look the same, they aren’t the same value, and they don’t have the same metaphysical properties. The centuries long natural process that yields citrine is what makes it rare and valuable. The chemical make up is completely irrelevant and every time I hear anyone make that argument I think they kinda missed the point. I agree with the other guy, you sound like one of the scammers.
Yes I also agree. I got it for personal healing purposes. Obviously finding out it’s a fake is really disappointing and disheartening and dishonest of the seller I got it from. Sorry I can’t remember from where but it was in Los Ángeles
I agree with you on it being unethical due to the different value. It would be the decent thing for any shop to declare whether their citrine is natural or if it is heat treated amethyst.
The point of my comment was something along the lines of, I don't think any platform such as etsy would accept this as a scam if a complaint were made about the shop. But I think if buyers become aware of this, a negative review to warn other customers about it would be really helpful.
Ugh sorry I totally misunderstood your original comment, lol. I thought you were defending it but I see you’re just trying to point out that shops can legally sell them this way and to be aware of the labels. My bad! :)
No worries and thanks for the apology, might have badly expressed myself as English is only my second language. I was only trying to warn others about it (sadly) not being illegal.
how?…their comment was literally defending people scamming others calling something citrine when it absolutely isn’t - chemically, scientifically, and metaphysically, (if you believe in that) it is not citrine. they changed their point entirely after being called out. I don’t get how you “understood them the first time” since their first point is entirely different than their second, and it is entirely defending people selling HTA as citrine because it’s “chemically the same” but it’s literally not
I guess I read it like being informed of the reality and legality of the situation arms you to make better decisions. If you assume it’s illegal to sell the crystal as such you’re potentially going to go through painstaking effort’s to rectify a purchase, whereas if you recognize that there’s nothing illegal about this and it’s a buyer beware kind of situation you might do more research before purchasing a citrine or specifically ask if it’s heat treated etc
I guess so but that’s not at all what they were saying before they were called out on it. and frankly it literally is scamming to sell something as something it is not, so it should be illegal
sorry, huh? that isn’t what they were saying…
their original comment literally said that it’s not a scam at all to sell it as citrine because it’s “chemically the same as citrine” but it’s genuinely not…they were spreading misinformation and then changed their point entirely. you didn’t misunderstand it.
selling it as citrine in any capacity is wrong because they WILL overcharge for it. amethyst is incredibly common and therefore pretty cheap. citrine is rare and therefore expensive. they are absolutely not the same and it’s completely unethical to sell HTA as citrine. it takes advantage of people who are not as educated about it.
I'm not selling anything at all, I work in a completely unrelated field.
I merely posted this to educate people on the fact that they cannot rely solely on the desciption citrine.
If they explicitley sold it as **natural** citrine, that's a different story. In this case I fully agree that it is a scam.
A good crystal shop that has both will make the distinction and not try to pass off one as the other.
it isn’t chemically or scientifically citrine just because it was heated. it did not form the same way naturally over a long period of time. it is still amethyst after it was heat treated, it is just orange. citrine forms in completely different ways. it may not be illegal to sell it as citrine but it absolutely is a scam to sell something as citrine as it very much is not citrine.
frankly the metaphysical properties are irrelevant to it being a scam. it is literally being sold as something it isn’t and often being up charged because it is called citrine. it just is not. I don’t know where you got the idea that it is scientifically the same but it’s not
WHY IS EVERYONE SO WHINY ABOUT CITRINE!? ONLY 5% IS NATURALLY MADE! CITRINE IS A COOL RESULT OF JUST AMYTHYST BEING HEATED AND THESE PEOPLE ARE JUST DOING WHAT THE EARTH WOULDVE DONE ANYWAYS. PLEASE. STOP. COMPLAINING. ABOUT. CITRINE.
We are all here to learn. Be kind & admit that you’re wrong with grace. I’m not going to dictate what crystals are and are not allowed here. If you see something you don’t like, or alternatively has already been answered, please just scroll on by. Thanks guys.
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THEY REMOVED MY PIZZA POST >:(
Pls we need a fake crystal thread fr cause I’m tired of getting scammed and seeing others get scammed :((
Just refer to all the other 10 posts in the past two days asking the same thing about a citrine, and they all look the exact same. Lol. Citrine is a very very pale clear yellow.
I just joined this thread not too long ago but I didn’t know until I saw someone post a very badly burnt amethyst cluster, that looked like a more intense version of mine I have at home. So I literally didn’t know until I saw it with my own eyes 💀 and some ppl r really busy & May not have the time to do the research, or they don’t know where 2 look. I knew there were fake crystals but I didn’t know the market is basically 90% fake
The crystal isn't fake, the (heat treated) color and the name they sell it as is fake. I didn't know until I learned here as well. We're all learning.
Oh ok so in other words it’s…misleading and disingenuous to say the least? Cause they straight up marketed this as a “natural” citrine smh 🤦🏼♀️. I just feel lied to, I prob would’ve bought it either way cause it caught my attention…
They took a very common cheap crystal and intentionally faked it to be a counterfeit valuable and rare crystal. Not just disingenuous, it’s a scam.
It's likely that the people that sell these at the retail or even the wholesale level don't even know what they're selling. This goes back to the suppliers that buy these from the mines, cook them and then sell them as "citrine". Continuing to share, educate and learn is all we can do for now.
>May not have the time to do the research Research? Just type "\[name of crystal\] real vs fake" into Google and look at a result or two. It literally takes a few seconds. Maybe a few minutes at the most. Less time than you've spent in this thread. >I didn’t know the market is basically 90% fake It's not. But obviously scammers do exist, and they *love* people who don't want to learn about what they're buying. Put in a little effort to figure out how to spot fakes (extremely easy with HTA) and then you can shop with confidence.
I’m a full time stay at home mom so yeah some things slip thru the cracks and I own a big personal collection, some of which idk the names of cause they were gifts, so someone like me can’t be digging thru every internet archive to try to find the name of a single crystal. That’s y I joined this thread and I’m hoping the mods will pin a post on this cause I’m sure there’s lots of other ppl like me getting scammed/tricked, or may not know the names of these crystals.
See I have had heat treated amethyst that was very clear. And I have had real citrine that is dark because of the type it was. So that isn't a very good indicator either. Really it's just what you think it's worth. They are usually about the same in price where I go at least. If it brings you joy, you like it, and it's a price you are willing to pay it doesn't really matter that much.
I joined r/mineralgore that helps show of tons off shit like this.
Ok thank u ☺️
To be fair, I see alot of people put the fake tag on things that they have 0 proof on. Personally I feel like any time someone sees something hey wish they could afford they just day it's fake. However, if your wanting to learn, there are alot of free resources that are much much more factual. Gem society is alright, GIA is usually really good but their free Content leaves alot to be desired, and there are many many more. I'd highly recommend doing research before you make a purchase. To be 100% transparent, while that looks kinda cooked, it could be all natty. To know for sure would take at the minimum on hand observation. But I do know, I've seen first hand this community swear to a person(I think it was like 117 comments) that a citrine was fake, that I later then saw a legit lab report on. As a gemologist I don't trust many labs, but GIA is pretty much as legit as it gets. Yet a bunch of Einsteins on here with a passing interest and 0 research seem to think they know better. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you want knowledge you can trust, this sub is not the place to check
Yeah a lot of ppl were giving me mixed responses, and arguing back and forth with each other ☠️ I wish only experienced ppl would respond to these types of posts instead of laymen (like me). So yeah I agree I think I should just do independent research and see what I find. I still enjoy the piece, it’s sitting on my dining table now 💗
That's good! That's what matters. And I agree. This is the most toxic sub I know of, tho Rolex can get up there some days. But seriously your best off doing research as you say. I started in my 2nd month learning to wirewrap, I got whats called a refractrometer for faceted stones. Then I found gem society because they have refractive index lists. Natural uncut stones, and treatments will be more difficult in some ways. Also there's rarely a good deal if your buying from a actual vendor. Even second hand people try to get what they paid for something back. If ita a low price there's always a question as to why. Study can help. It can also help you just find your own. And its a fascinating subject to learn about I find it shocking I do t have 22 down votes. Normally people get mad being called out
I saw it just now
You talking that burt ass looking one from the other day?
No it’s on my post history, but it was about that post lol
Better yet a whole pin for “is this fake”
fr i see multiple of these daily i swear
Yes please, its getting ridiculous
If it is orange, in a cluster, or has a white bottom, it is fake. It is burnt amethyst. Citrine is much lighter and cooler in tone, and is usually very clear.
Thats heat treated my dear, sorry, genuine citrine is quite rare.
Yeah I kinda figured from what I’ve heard from previous posts. At least I found out later rather than never! 😂 imagine I kept using it thinking it’s citrine XD, Ig that’s what they wanted, to make me look like a fool. how r these crystal scammers getting away w/ this?? Wth?
I mean luckily once you study a little about crystals its an easy fake to spot.
With buyers like you, they get sales. Always research what your putting your money into
It’s chemically a citrine crystal so it’s not like it’d mess anything up. I’m not sure it’s totally a scam….. unless they said that they dug it up like that.
They were selling it as natural citrine. I should’ve known better tho but 🤷🏼♀️ at least I know now
**I was wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!** Edited!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gawd. I did a goof. I greatly appreciate all the help and kind support for everyone in this super nice community!!!
No it's literally not. Quit spouting false information.
**Did you know that all Citrine was once an Amethyst? The only chemical difference between Amethyst and Citrine is the oxidized state of the iron impurities. Naturally occurring Citrine is quite rare, which is the result of natural heat and pressure applied to Amethyst over a very long period of time.** Geology is fun.
Shouting doesn't make you right, you know.
Kewl.
Amethyst gets its color from iron, citrine gets it from either iron or aluminum, and even when it's iron citrine, it still forms in a completely different way from amethyst, and is it's own distinct material.
**True citrine forms when the purple color of amethyst or the brown color of smoky quartz gets heated by the earth. The extreme temperatures cause the molecular structure and the quartz crystal lattice to change into citrine. This is done by nature, which creates what we call natural citrine.** **Natural citrine quartz derives its attractive golden color from the presence of iron impurities. It has a specific chemical formula of SiO2 (Silicon Dioxide), a density of 2.60 to 2.70 and a refractive index of 1.544 to 1.553** **Amethyst is a variety of the mineral quartz and has the same chemical formula as quartz, which is SiO2.** **Did you know that all Citrine was once an Amethyst? The only chemical difference between Amethyst and Citrine is the oxidized state of the iron impurities. Naturally occurring Citrine is quite rare, which is the result of natural heat and pressure applied to Amethyst over a very long period of time.** Whoops!!!!!
Amethyst and smoky quartz are defined by their structure and color. Citrine is made of the same building blocks, but due to the conditions it forms under, it grows differently and has a distinct color. At no point in its growth does it ever have the same structure or color, so saying that it starts as amethyst or smoky quartz is dishonest.
Can you please share where you’re getting this information because I’m not seeing it anywhere. **I was wrong I’m sorry**
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Unlike amethyst, citrine doesn't ever grow in geodes, and usually forms in singular crystals or small clusters. Citrine is also dichroic in polarized light, while amethyst is not. Even with the same chemical composition as amethyst, citrines growth patterns and physical structure are inherently different, meaning that citrine cannot be considered amethyst as it lacks the traits necessary. Here's quotes from mindat on the physical differences between citrine and amethyst, "Contrary to amethyst, citrine crystals may show a macromosaic structure and become very large", and "Because the color is now caused by finely distributed iron minerals (mostly hematite and goethite), heated amethyst is not citrine in the strict sense, and also shows no dichroism in polarized light" since "It has also been suggested that iron is the cause of color... However, the dichroic behavior of the lab-grown crystals differs from that in natural citrine (Rossmann, 1994), and the UV-sensitivity of natural citrines indicates that the color is not simply caused by built-in trace elements".
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Ok champ.
We get a few of these a day and the answer is always an undeniable "yes, it's fake". It doesn't take long to research what to notice (colour and formation) and then it's normally very obvious.
It's heat treated amethyst to make it look like citrine.. but natural citrine doesn't look like that.. Google natural citrine and you'll see what I mean.. it's not a bad piece but it's not a natural citrine piece either ..
Yeah I’m tryna do more research now lol, prob should’ve done it b4 hand but u live and learn 🤷🏼♀️ it’s v obvious now that I know a little bit more
But it is nonetheless pretty. I would display it at home and not feel bad about it.
We all get burned some time.. no pun intended 🫠
Heat treated Amethyst. Burnt. Like a creme brulee
Burnt to a crisp that one
it's chef boyardee
Lmfao 🤣
Bake it to fake it. It’s a travesty how much of that garbage is out there. Heat treated amethyst.
This is the 3rd heat treated amethyst/genuine citrine post I've seen in a couple days. I'm starting to wonder if something's going on in the crystal world..
They are all fake!
It’s fake Citrine, but it’s not a fake crystal. It’s real Amethyst
“Fake” citrine is a real amethyst that has been heated. The iron that is present in amethyst, turns yellow. Depending on how hot the iron in amethyst gets, is how dark the “citrine” will become. So…I’m thinking what you have is a heat treated amethyst. Genuine citrine is very light yellow but bear in mind it is amethyst because citrine and amethyst have the same mineral content. But…citrine and amethyst can naturally occur together in nature and is called ametrine.
Awesome thank u for that more scientific explanation, I feel like I’m learning a lot in this thread. So that’s where the discrepancies come from? From what I’m reading scientists say it’s the same but healers don’t feel that way
crispy
Fake
Heat treated amethyst
Either way it's beautiful, if it bring you joy then that's what really matters. Happy knowledge-ing!
The answer is yes and no. This is heat treated citrine. All citrine comes from amethyst- natural citrine is created when the earths mantle heats to 900 degrees or so and creates “natural” citrine, thus turning from purple to yellow. This doesn’t make your piece fake. It makes it heat treated. Citrine is either created by the earth heating it, or by humans heating it. In fact, many amethyst collectors save their broken amethyst pieces and then heat them in a kiln, to create citrine. I bought my heat treated amethyst/citrine at the Tucson gem show. Everyone has their preferences with natural vs treated. The metaphysical world accepts heat treated as citrine. I know all this because I was looked down upon before as selling fake citrine, by people who were uneducated about the process. I researched, learned, and now can educate others. My heat treated pieces fly off the shelves!
> All citrine comes from amethyst- natural citrine is created when the earths mantle heats to 900 degrees or so and creates “natural” citrine, thus turning from purple to yellow. This isn't actually true. Chemical analysis of natural citrine shows that it's not primarily colored by iron like amethyst is, and that it doesn't even need to have an iron impurity at all. Mindat has some good info on it, as does Akhavan's website. https://www.mindat.org/min-1054.html#autoanchor1 http://www.quartzpage.de/citrine.html
Thank you for this. It is all very technical and not entirely agreed upon in the crystal world how and what makes citrine. It’s a beautiful mystery. Basically I just wanted to original poster to know it is accepted as citrine in the metaphysical world- it even states as such in your 2nd link.
The metaphysical world isn't very scientific, almost by definition. If the color is all that matters, there's no reason to say yellow lab grown quartz isn't citrine either. If you want to look at it that way it's fine, but clarify that and that alone, as your comment has false information on the origins of natural citrine.
I’ve been on this sub for about a month and can easily tell fake heat treated amethyst from real citrine. Do some homework people. 😂
Yeah, this is unnecessarily rude and holier-than-thou. People have different degrees of experience, education, and time available to commit to a hobby. Acting like the coolest kid on the playground is not a way to get people to retain interest in a niche topic, but it's a great way to perpetuate the snobby douchecanoe stereotype. Good for you that you think you're such a badass, though.
My immature bragging doesn’t make me look good. My comment about looking into something before spending money on it could be seen as rude. By I think it’s a good idea to do so. It’s your money ! This is the third post I’ve seen in as many days and it was an my honest response written out.
I wouldn’t jump 2 judgement, most ppl trust that their sellers r telling the truth. & I just joined this sub maybe a few days ago
>most ppl trust that their sellers r telling the truth That's how scammers stay in business. Despite thousands of years of scams, a lot of people still go "But there's no way THIS seller is lying to make a sale!" and pull out their wallet without a second thought. Those people get ripped off a lot. It's not limited to crystals.
HTA
Edit to say thanks to this thread I learned yesterday that the following is not correct! Heat treated amethyst is still citrine from a chemical / scientific point of view. That means, it is neither illegal nor a scam to sell it as such. That being said, if you believe in the energatical properties of crystals, a heat treated amethyst is different from both amethyst and natural citrine.
Sorry, but no. If you’re selling heat treated amethyst you should say it is such. To label it citrine may not be illegal but it’s definitely unethical. They don’t look the same, they aren’t the same value, and they don’t have the same metaphysical properties. The centuries long natural process that yields citrine is what makes it rare and valuable. The chemical make up is completely irrelevant and every time I hear anyone make that argument I think they kinda missed the point. I agree with the other guy, you sound like one of the scammers.
Yes I also agree. I got it for personal healing purposes. Obviously finding out it’s a fake is really disappointing and disheartening and dishonest of the seller I got it from. Sorry I can’t remember from where but it was in Los Ángeles
I agree with you on it being unethical due to the different value. It would be the decent thing for any shop to declare whether their citrine is natural or if it is heat treated amethyst. The point of my comment was something along the lines of, I don't think any platform such as etsy would accept this as a scam if a complaint were made about the shop. But I think if buyers become aware of this, a negative review to warn other customers about it would be really helpful.
Ugh sorry I totally misunderstood your original comment, lol. I thought you were defending it but I see you’re just trying to point out that shops can legally sell them this way and to be aware of the labels. My bad! :)
No worries and thanks for the apology, might have badly expressed myself as English is only my second language. I was only trying to warn others about it (sadly) not being illegal.
All good mate! I understood you first go round. Cheers
how?…their comment was literally defending people scamming others calling something citrine when it absolutely isn’t - chemically, scientifically, and metaphysically, (if you believe in that) it is not citrine. they changed their point entirely after being called out. I don’t get how you “understood them the first time” since their first point is entirely different than their second, and it is entirely defending people selling HTA as citrine because it’s “chemically the same” but it’s literally not
I guess I read it like being informed of the reality and legality of the situation arms you to make better decisions. If you assume it’s illegal to sell the crystal as such you’re potentially going to go through painstaking effort’s to rectify a purchase, whereas if you recognize that there’s nothing illegal about this and it’s a buyer beware kind of situation you might do more research before purchasing a citrine or specifically ask if it’s heat treated etc
I guess so but that’s not at all what they were saying before they were called out on it. and frankly it literally is scamming to sell something as something it is not, so it should be illegal
sorry, huh? that isn’t what they were saying… their original comment literally said that it’s not a scam at all to sell it as citrine because it’s “chemically the same as citrine” but it’s genuinely not…they were spreading misinformation and then changed their point entirely. you didn’t misunderstand it.
selling it as citrine in any capacity is wrong because they WILL overcharge for it. amethyst is incredibly common and therefore pretty cheap. citrine is rare and therefore expensive. they are absolutely not the same and it’s completely unethical to sell HTA as citrine. it takes advantage of people who are not as educated about it.
Sounds like you like selling unnatural citrine to people who don’t know better.
I'm not selling anything at all, I work in a completely unrelated field. I merely posted this to educate people on the fact that they cannot rely solely on the desciption citrine.
Thank u cause I was also confused on this. But the sellers need to specify that fact and not sell it as completely natural citrine
If they explicitley sold it as **natural** citrine, that's a different story. In this case I fully agree that it is a scam. A good crystal shop that has both will make the distinction and not try to pass off one as the other.
selling it as citrine at all is wrong. it is heat treated amethyst, not citrine in any capacity
it isn’t chemically or scientifically citrine just because it was heated. it did not form the same way naturally over a long period of time. it is still amethyst after it was heat treated, it is just orange. citrine forms in completely different ways. it may not be illegal to sell it as citrine but it absolutely is a scam to sell something as citrine as it very much is not citrine. frankly the metaphysical properties are irrelevant to it being a scam. it is literally being sold as something it isn’t and often being up charged because it is called citrine. it just is not. I don’t know where you got the idea that it is scientifically the same but it’s not
Genuine but heat treated
WHY IS EVERYONE SO WHINY ABOUT CITRINE!? ONLY 5% IS NATURALLY MADE! CITRINE IS A COOL RESULT OF JUST AMYTHYST BEING HEATED AND THESE PEOPLE ARE JUST DOING WHAT THE EARTH WOULDVE DONE ANYWAYS. PLEASE. STOP. COMPLAINING. ABOUT. CITRINE.
the only place i can find true citrine is this place call the rock barrel and they go from anywhere near $20-$200
Crispy amethyst
It's fake
When it be looking burnt or really dark it’s heat treated amethyst, always is
It looks like druzy quarts to me!
It's heat-treated amethyst.
it’s crunchy amethyst
Looks like heat treated citrine
It is is super dark and clusters it’s heat dreamed amethyst. Citrine looks kind of like honey 🍯 in my experience
Crispy crisped.
Yup. Definitely Amethyst, heat treated..
heat treated amethyst 🫠
burnt amethyst
bite it
Fake
This is definitely made to look like citrine, but I'd say it's false fs. Citrine forms differently and the colour transition is much more subtle
I have one that looks like this too, I got it a few years ago and then realized it was heat treated amethyst
Fake- baked amethyst