From the French name for lemon, "citron", many citrines have a juicy lemon color.

The darker, orange colors of citrine, sometimes called Madeira Citrine after the color of the wine, has generally been the most valued color. In modern times, many people prefer the bright lemony shades that mix better with pastel colors.

They mine most citrine in Brazil. Supply of citrine is good from the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, particularly from the Serra mine, which is producing 300 kilos a month of hammered goods. The Ira’ mine produces an additional 100 kilos a month of hammered goods.

Sometimes citrine is called by the trade name topaz quartz, which is incorrect. This name was used in the past about the color, which is sometimes similar to the color of royal topaz.

In ancient times, they carried citrine as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts. Its powers are said to include anti-nightmares and protection. It is worn at night to remove fear, prevent nightmares, and to ensure a good night's sleep.

Care of Citrine:  They require no special care other than to keep your gems from heat. Heat will lighten darker Citrine, but it usually requires temperatures above 212 F. There are verified reports of sunlight fading Citrine. If for some reason your gemstones should be placed next to radioactive material, they may darken.

Enhancements: Many labs play with amethyst/citrine. It is a safe bet that citrine, ametrine and prasiolite have been heat treated to some extent. Even darker amethyst could be treated to make it clearer. Treatment will last the life of the gem.

Bibliography: 

• The curious lore of precious stones - Author Kunz, George Frederick, 1856-1932.
• Gem identification made easy - Matlins, Antoinette Leonard.
• Gems: Their Sources, Descriptions and Identification - By Robert Webster, Peter G. Read (Editor).
• Gemstone Enhancement: history, science and state of the art - by Kurt Nassau.
• Gemstones of the world - Walter Schumann ; translated by Evelyne Stern.

A Disclaimer:  Effort has been made of including information that is found in at least two sources. I can make no claim on the accuracy of this information. I am not a Geologist or Gemologist. I make no guarantees and infer no warranties. For more information, please refer to the bibliography.

---

Copyright Information.:  Although I have included a bibliography, but no attempt has been made to give credit to individual passages. If you are an author and feel that I have infringed on your copyrighted material please let me know. With that in mind, all material and information, retain their respected Copyrights.

---

I encourage the reader to pursue the further study of any topic that they find particularly interesting. A good place to start is your local library.