Citrine, the golden variety of quartz, has long been sought after by collectors for its vibrant color and by healers for its ability to dispel gloom and manifest wealth. However, much of the citrine found on the market today began as a very different member of the quartz family, purple amethyst!          

 

Through a process of heating, the purple variety of quartz sheds its royal color to dawn itself in golden hues. We recognize that there are many schools of thought in the scientific and the metaphysical communities, some of which believe that anthropogenic colors in minerals negatively impact their value. For example, the most common dislike of human-altered coloration of stones is in the dyed agates. However, many argue that despite the colors being completely unnatural, they provide a benefit owing to their aesthetic and the psychological practice of Color Therapy. Similarly, many individuals dislike citrine that has been heat-treated because the color simply is not natural. This is most frequently true in the metaphysical community, where the "baking of amethyst" to create citrine is sometimes viewed as misleading.