How To Identify An Authentic Citrine Gemstone?

Have you ever thought of a gem that looks like the sun, a stone in which the warmth of sunlight is somehow alive and glowing in the heart of the gem in the form of gold? This is citrine, an extraordinary gemstone favorite among people for millennia due to its bright sparkle and wishing-well vibrations. 

However, in today’s world where there is an increased number of clone products available, how can one be confident that the citrine crystal that is in his/her possession is an original one? Welcome to the yellowish beauty! 

Now, follow me and dive into the wonderful topic – how to distinguish a real citrine gemstone?

The Allure of Citrine: A Brief History

It has been appreciated since the historical period and up to the present time. The name it gives is citrus which comes from the French translation of the fruit it resembles, lemon due to its bright yellow color. 

• In the past, citrine was thought to share the qualities of the sun, and thus it promotes happiness, stability, and vitality. 
• It was also considered to have curative effects and it acted as an anti-depressant with a positive impact on the welfare of the feelings system.
• In Greece and Rome, citrine was utilized in ornamental settings and intaglios, and during the Middle Ages, the gem was used as an amulet against evil thoughts. 
• The ancient Greeks and the Romans made use of citrine in pieces of jewelry and designs in intaglios. 
• It is therefore a gemstone that is widely used in today’s world in the making of jewelry because it bears the citrine crystal look and goes for an affordable price in the market. 
• As cited earlier, synthetic and treated gemstones have lately flooded the market thus making it extremely hard to differentiate between an authentic citrine stone and other similar lower-quality imitations.

The Spectrum of Citrine: Color and Clarity

Another fascinating feature about citrine is that it has a well-defined concolority color. Natural citrine can be very light in color going up to what you might consider a classic amber and the color spectrum works from perhaps a pale straw through golden yellow, gold, honey, and even what may appear to be a brown smoky kind of color. 

The gemstones used foremost include those that have an unclouded, bright golden yellow hue, which people call ‘Madeira citrine’ because of the similarity to that kind of wine.

One cannot afford to ignore the color of a particular citrine birthstone if they are out to shop for one. There are a lot of easily identifiable differences: A natural citrine has a more uniform and less saturated color than a treated or synthetic stone and can have an extremely bright and almost surreal color. 

If the color looks too saturated or fades into the skin in irregular patches, this might be a sign that it has been subject to heat treatment or enhancement. When it fades it starts to resemble the end of an Ethiopian Opal. 

Clarity is another important factor that states that a good manager should be able to explain the functions of an organization in a clear and comprehensible manner. However, a perfectly natural citrine birthstone is almost gemologically included-free, which means that under 10X magnification there are no signs of inclusions or other defects. 

Normal inclusions are acceptable or even desirable, as they give character to the stone; nevertheless, any stone that contains a lot of inclusions or large inclusions is undesirable because it downgrades the look and the price of the gemstone.

The Touch Test: Feel the Stone

Another way to see if the citrine is imposture is through the feel of the stone itself, which should be smooth to the touch. Natural citrine – or this kind of citrine that has not gone through the process of cutting and polishing – comes from the quartz family. 

It has a certain weight and density you can touch this with your hands. It should be slightly heavy in its mass and possesses a cool and smooth texture on its surface. This test does not work on all the gemstones for example you can not know the real Lapis Lazuli with this test. 

Now, hold the gemstone in your palm and imagine yourself placing the stone in your pocket. Appreciate the fact that it has life and does feel its weight, and its temperature. 

Holding a raw citrine for a while and putting it beside its fake counterpart made of glass or plastic will show that the former gets warm to the touch and denser compared to the latter.

The Scratch Test: Harnessing Hardness

Citrine crystal and other forms of quartz are hard stones, and according to the Mohs scale of hardness, they fall under number seven. This, in turn, implies that it can scratch glass and is also vulnerable to being scratched by material with a hardness of 7 and above. 

If you are ready to do a simple experiment, you can rub the gemstone on a piece of glass in such a gentle manner that no scratch marks are likely to be produced. Quartz clasts that leave a scratch are likely to be genuine quartz.

But do not make very deep scratches, this way the opposite side of the scratch can also damage the gemstone as well as the surface of the test. If you are not sure of anything when it comes to this test, always exercise caution and if possible get a professional gemologist.

The Light Test: Revealing Inner Beauty

For this reason, natural citrine possesses some distinct physical characteristics that can serve as good indicators of whether particular examples of this gemstone are natural or not. 

Place the gemstone under natural light and see its response to light at the different angles where it is placed. The genuine citrine will have a lot of silkiness, lightness, and uniformity in the color distribution and will emit a pleasant and warm light. 

Check for any glittery motives or hues similar to that of the rainbow, which might point to the presence of other minerals or treatments.

It’s best to do this with a jeweler’s loupe or a magnifying glass to see the gemstone well. Casting: Since natural citrine is a product of the earth, making it in a laboratory is likely to have unique features such as microscopic angel wings tiny air bubbles, or even mineral deposits; minute features like these are not seen in fake citrine.

The Origin Story: From the Earth to Your Hands

Knowing the stone’s origin can also give hints about its genuineness since natural citrine can only be found in a few countries. Currently, most citrine crystals sold in the market are heat-treated quartz, and the major source of citrine is from Brazil, particularly in the Rio Grande do Sul and Minas Gerais regions. 

Other significant sources that can also be listed as sources of furniture are Madagascar, Russia, and Spain. Again, heat-treated amethyst or smoky quartz can resemble citrine, and since these gems may stem from the same locations, full traceability is critical.

There is a very horrible thing that one can read about citrine and that is a fake one; thus it is important to request for certificate of origin from a reputable dealer whenever one is buying citrine. 

Ideally, this document should outline the geographic origin of the gemstone, whether or not it has been treated in any way and some of the physical characteristics of the gemstone. 

A genuine seller should give these details clearly to make sure that the two of you fully understand what is going on.

The Fluorescence Test: A Glow in the Dark

There is one unique way that proves the genuineness of citrine, which is to use ultraviolet UV light. Natural citrine does not normally show fluorescence under UV light. 

Synthetic citrine crystal or quartz that has undergone some form of treatment could exhibit a phenomenon classified under weak to moderate fluorescence in greenish-blue hue.

To conduct this test, the gemstone should be held under a UV light source in a dark environment and if the lines change color, then it is an artificial gem. 

These are very different from the MIT results of natural opal stones; if there is a strong enhancement, it may mean the item is painted or fake.

Consulting the Experts: Professional Gemological Services

While it is always possible to gain knowledge from a home test, nothing is quite as helpful as a professional gemologist’s opinion. It can also inform the buyer of the exact origin of the stone and the processes undertaken to produce the splendid gem. 

It serves as an insurance that relays comprehensive information about the physical characteristics that make the gem unique.

Embrace the Golden Glow: Trust Your Intuition

• Thus, the process of selecting the raw citrine gemstone is not so different from art. However, these tests and techniques are helpful to let yourself be driven by some sort of test and techniques, as there is a part of a feeling and personality. 
• Grasp the gemstone firmly, enclose it with your palm, and invite your soul into the process. 
• A raw citrine will have the feeling that you get in your heart, nothing that anyone can fake and imitate easily.
• Before you step into this yellowish-orange iridescent world of citrine, let me remind you that citrine’s true essence is not only about its hue but also the positive energy that comes with it. 
• Several people wear citrine as a piece of jewelry and practice with it in meditations, and others place it in the seashells admiring the golden sunny rays of citrine energy.

Conclusion

You must know how to recognize the actual citrine birthstone which requires observation, touching the gemstone, and of course, using your perceived instincts. By determining color, consistency, density, and country of origin in addition to other basic tests, one can assert the true nature of this precious gemstone. 

Yet again the most paramount element is the sense of connectedness that an individual has with the gemstone. Believe in yourself, and embrace joy originating from the identify authentic citrine stone  light.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

1. Can Citrine change its colors?

Yes, it is possible that the beautiful shade of Citrine can fade over time if it is exposed a lot to the harmful rays of sunlight. But genuinely, a faded gemstone is a testament to its natural existence. 

2. Which Citrine Gemstone is the most valuable?

People often consider the bright-yellow, shining Citrine as the most valuable of all the forms it can be found in. It goes by the name Madeira Citrine.