💫NATURAL VS FAKE CITRINE 💫
Â
Disclaimer: Not throwing shade on businesses selling fake citrine - I do too! It’s just important to state if it has been treated/is not genuine. Furthermore, sellers often don’t know they are selling fake citrine because their suppliers have told them its genuine, and the suppliers of the suppliers have told them its genuine! Can make it very tricky.
Â
Firstly, here’s how fake citrine can be made:
-
Heat-treated amethyst: These are still stones! They have just had extreme heat applied to them to turn them orange. Often, this colour will only be shown at the tips of the citrine as it follows the purple gradient of the amethyst from white to purple. I will detail more about growth below.
-
Glass: pretty self-explanatory, but glass occurs when the citrine looks too clear for a cheap price (super high grade clear citrine does exist naturally, but, for a pretty penny!). They sometimes will have bubbles in them too.
- Yellow-Aura Quartz: This is another natural stone (quartz) that has yellow metals wrapped around it to give the appearance of citrine.
Â
Here’s some tips on how to tell the fake apart from the real:
- Colour: Citrine ranges from very pale yellow to a dark almost orange colour as seen in the big smokey citrine momma I have featured on this reel. However, it should not be vibrant orange with a white base or have an abrupt change in hue as seen in the HT amethyst. I’ve also started seeing ‘rare’ green citrine that showcases a lime colour. Whilst citrine can have green tinges e.g from chlorite, it is not naturally completely green.Â
- Growth: Citrine does not grow the way amethyst does even though they are from the same family (like rose quartz doesn’t grow like amethyst). Citrine can grow in large points, and cascading type clusters with little babies around the base (seen in Congo citrine). They don’t grow in caves or geodes that are commonly sold.Â
- Price: HT or fake citrine are often quite affordable whereas genuine citrine is typically more expensive due to rarity. However, this should not be the first point of difference that you jump to.
Here are some genuine citrine below: