Citrine

We're noticing that a lot of the terms for the different Citrine products/stones are being used interchangably, so we'd thought we would clarify how *we* are using the terms. Many of these are trade names as opposed to geological names, so there is some inconsistency in the market.

Citrine means yellow quartz. Because this can cover several chemically different stones, we'll be using their trade names to differentiate them.

#1 Traditional Citrine: This is an amethyst (iron) based Citrine, which occurs when amethyst reaches about 350 degrees. This can occur naturally, and *some* ametrines are evidence of this. These are mostly created in a kiln, but this replicates a cultural practice that has gone back thousands of years using firepits. This is what has been know as Citrine until quite recently.

#2 'Natural' Citrine: Aluminum based (smokey quartz). When this hit the market most people started referring to Traditional Citrine as fake, despite TC being processed that way for a very long time. Some Natural Citrine is irritated to enhance the colour, but as this replicates how Natural Citrine is created by nature it is very, very difficult to tell.

#3 Smokey Citrine: Aluminum based (smokey quartz) is Natural Citrine with more of the smokey black visible. This too can be enhanced, but again not easy to know if it has. We've seen stuff that has been processed, and stuff we 100% know hasn't and visually they are very similar.

#4&5 Lemon Quartz. Aluminum based (smokey quartz) We're using this term to refer to smokey citrine that has been processed by heating in kilns (#5) to drop the smokey out. This produces a very yellow and slightly green color and we watched them do it in China.

Other people may use these terms differently- we've seen all sorts- but hopefully this clarifies how *we* will be using them.