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Jamming Gems Citrine Information
Citrine
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General Information:
The name citrine comes from the old French word citrin
which means yellow. Citrine is the birthstone for the month of
November. Due to the similarities in color to some topaz, citrine was often
confused with it and given the name topaz quartz, but today is only known as
citrine. During the 1940's, citrine was a very popular gemstone to use in retro
jewelry.
Citrine, much like amethyst is in the quartz family, and it ranges in colors of
yellow, yellow-brown, orange, reddish-brown, and dark orange-brown. Citrine
will sometimes combine with amethyst quartz naturally to form the bi-colored
quartz ametrine. The chemical composition of citrine is a quartz or a SiO2
(Silicon Dioxide), the only difference between it and amethyst being the
oxidation state of the iron impurities found in the minerals. Amethyst can be
heated and the color will fade from a purple to a yellow or reddish-orange
(citrine). This process is often done since amethyst is found more abundently
than citrine. There is no way to determine whether the stone was heat treated
or irradiated by nature or in a lab.
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Origin:
Most citrine is mined in Brazil. |
Common Treatments and Lab Created
Forms:
Since amethyst is more abundent in nature, most citrine is
actually amethyst that has been irradiated (heat treated). Scientists have
accomplished manufacturing a lab created form of citrine, which is identical to
the natural mineral in composition.
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Physical Properties:
Moh's Scale Hardness: 7
Specific Gravity: 2.65
Refractive Index: 1.544-1.55
Fracture: conchoidal
Crystal system: (Trigonal), hexagonal prisms
Colors: Yellow to reddish-orange
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