Real citrine can vary from light yellow to golden yellow to orange or even brownish yellow. This can be more noticeable in lower grade or poorly produced stones. Heated amethyst often has a rich almost burnt orange colour. This doesn't change when the stone is heated so is often visible in heated amethyst.Ĭolour is one of the easiest ways to identify fake citrine. Where present colour can vary often considerably. In polished or tumbled material the shade of colour will often not be uniform throughout the stone.Ī common characteristic of amethyst is colour zoning. In rough stones this will usually be towards the base of the crystal. One of the most obvious clues is the presence of white or colourless quartz. The vast majority of commercial grade citrine is heated amethyst. Fake Citrine the Most Obvious CluesĪlthough there are exceptions it's usually relatively easy to identify fake citrine. Using heat to enhance or change the colour of rocks and minerals is not the same as dyeing them.Īgate and onyx are frequently dyed to make stones with less interesting colours more desirable. The process is similar to what happens in nature over millions of years. Heating changes the colour of a stone by interfering with its chemical composition. For this reason natural amethyst has long been accepted as being the next best thing. With natural citrine being relatively rare it tends to be quite expensive. A ruby that's not been heated is considered to be extremely rare.Īquamarine is also commonly heated to turn greener stones blue.ĭespite heat treatments being an accepted enhancement, attitudes towards heated amethyst being sold as fake citrine seem to be shifting. Most of the world's finest rubies and sapphires are heated. The colour of natural blue topaz bears little resemblance to the Sky, London and Swiss Blue gemstones produced through various heat treatments. Although it does occur naturally it's extremely rare. It can also be used to remove unwanted characteristics such as a wisp of colour.Īlmost all blue topaz is heated. Heat is widely used to enhance or change the colour of many minerals. Impurities of iron are the primary reason for its purple colour. This is how "fake" citrine is produced.Įxposure to heat changes the chemical composition of amethyst which leads to a gradual reduction in the amount of iron. The final colour is determined by temperature and the length of time it's heated. Raise the temperature and it turns orange and then orange-brown. When amethyst is heated to 450☌ (842☏) it starts turning yellow. He also noted the colour of quartz could be changed into that of an emerald. In his encyclopaedia "Naturalis Historia" he wrote one gemstone can be changed into another. He subsequently classified them according to the way they reacted to fire.Īncient Roman author and naturalist Pliny the Elder also noted the effect that heat had on stones. The ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus noted many stones change colour when heated. Fake turquoise has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Turquoise is believed to be the first mineral to have been replicated. Rocks and minerals are no exception and have been imitated for thousands of years. With the advancement of technology it's now easier than ever to replicate almost anything. Throughout history humans have copied and reproduced anything that's rare or highly sought after. The largest producer of "fake" citrine is Brazil and ironically they're also the world's largest producers of natural citrine. The vast majority of "citrine" being sold around the world is heated amethyst. Named after the French word "citron" meaning lemon citrine is the yellow variety of the mineral quartz. People are often surprised to learn real citrine is relatively rare. Fake Citrine is Natural Amethyst How to Tell Heated Amethyst from Real Citrine
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