FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[tynarose614]

Hi guys! Beginner mineral/gemstone collector here. Before I knew any better I ordered from mostly crystal shops as they seem to be everywhere online and are easy to find. After doing research, I saw many people recommend against buying from psychic crystal type shops if you truly want genuine authentic pieces. Many suggested it would be much better to buy from actual geologists, miners, or fossil collectors as they have experience in properly identifying their products. I was interested in citrine, and I was wondering if anybody on here could help me identify as best as possible through photos, if at least one of them is actual citrine. I read natural citrine is actually very rare and hard to come by. I read that most citrine is actually heated amethyst from Brazil, or smokey quartz. So below I attached 3 types I have from 3 different places.
First photo of the 2 small pieces are from some crystal/psychic type shop and listed as from Brazil, very cheap (only a few dollars), after checking the heated amethyst photos from google I am 99% sure it is NOT citrine due to the inconsistent color distribution.

Second photos are from Inner Vision Crystals which was recommended all over reddit as well as other forums, they seem to be very knowledgeable and honest and get their crystals straight from the mine and auctions. Price was more expensive, I stated my concern to them about citrine and they assured me it was natural and untreated, The only thing worrying me is that it's listed as from Brazil... but I read online that citrine doesn't naturally form in Brazil.

Third is from Crystal River Gems and identified as natural (not dyed or processed) citrine from Zambia, Africa. It is much different than any other mineral I have, this one is VERY blurry and smokey inside.

Any thoughts, help or experience with these places would be much appreciated. Thank you guys

[tynarose614]

This is the 2nd from Brazil

[tynarose614]

This was identified from Zambia

[SteveB]

Personally I would just assume these examples are all fake in some way (artificially grown or heated). Once removed from the matrix they were formed on they no longer have any context for their source location or authenticity of truly natural. The places you bought from use the word “Natural” because chemically true natural specimens are identical as lab grown. So thats the definition of natural they use it does NOT mean it came out of the ground and formed by natural geological processes. Besides stores that sell these are like the fifth set of hands the specimen has been through and there is never a certification process for the source, so “where it came from” can change with each change of hands. Once its been cut or broken from the matrix it formed on all quartz varieties are pretty much impossible to identify to a location. I find it very suspect none of yours show any matrix at all so as I said, personally I would assume they are molested specimens. New Age sellers you can be 99% certain its not something out of the ground. The advice you were given and chose to ignore was correct. Buy from miners, collectors, mineral suppliers etc.

[Bob Harman]

Mineral collectors and jewelers have differing definitions of citrine, the yellow variety of the mineral quartz.

I personally have a narrow definition, for me citrine is the saturated and clear yellow quartz variety with, at least, the potential for use in jewelry. As you noted, true citrine is uncommon, being found in only a few localities. Most yellowish tinted quartz, from whatever origin, is not true citrine. I agree.

Based on your your photos, I would say that none of your examples is true citrine as none has the potential for use in jewelry. As I said, to me, potential use for jewelry is important in calling an example true citrine.

My opinion, Bob

[tynarose614]

[Volkmar Stingl]

[tynarose614]

[Riccardo Modanesi]

Hi to everybody! According to the photos it looks likes a quartz with goethite inclusions. I advise you to try observing it with a microscope. Genuine, synthetic and heated citrine (formerly amethyst) are very difficult to distinguish even by a gemmological analysis.
Greetings from Italy by Riccardo.

[Bob Harman]

[James Catmur]

[Bob Morgan]

The Zambian citrine is probably correct. The Zambians come to Tucson every year with many of these. Most are darker, but ones this light are not rare. They are mainly sold for cutting and have dings like on yours.