Ina’s Crystal Corner: Citrine
Happy Virgo Season everyone!
As we finish up these summer months, we’re taking a look at a crystal frequently associated with the sun and the lion: Citrine. This yellow variety of quartz is both found naturally and lab grown. Natural citrine can range from a pale yellow to bright gold hues, depending on the level of trace amounts of iron in the crystal. Lab produced citrine is created by heat treating another variety of quartz, Amethyst. This however results in darker shades of yellow and orange than the rare naturally-occurring Citrine. Citrine is commonly sourced from Brazil, Madagascar, Mexico, Russia, Spain, and the US.
The name citrine comes from the word citrina, meaning yellow in Latin. The golden hues have been associated with the sun since at least as far back as Ancient Egypt and Greece. The Ancient Egyptians associated the crystal with the solar goddess of war and power, Sekhmet. Sekhmet is usually depicted as a lioness, perhaps an influence on citrine’s association with Leo in western astrology. Despite its associations with the Leo star sign and August, citrine is actually the birthstone for the month of November and Sagittarius, a fellow fire sign.
The Ancient Greeks and Romans would create intaglios by carving iconic images and portraits into the stone (check out this Carnelian one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art if you’re in the NY/NJ area!). Intaglios were predominately used for wax seals, however they were often personalized pieces of jewelry for the wearer. Some stones were used for healing properties while others were for material abundance. Romans believed citrine to attract wealth or prosperity thus it has also been referred to as the “merchant’s stone” or the “money stone”.
Today, citrine is thought to stimulate creativity, help manifest ideas into reality, fight depression, and find balance in the body. Citrine is also associated with the solar plexus and said to promote a stronger sense of personal power. For gardening purposes, citrine can help dispel toxins from soil and help plants grow strong. Plus, its a nice, subtle pop of color for your terrariums!
💎 Just be sure to periodically replace your citrine crystal as with long term exposure to sunlight the crystal will fade in color and energy to clear quartz. 💎