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Citrine is a transparent, coarse-grained variety of the mineral quartz. It is a semiprecious gem that is valued for its yellow to brownish color and its resemblance to the rarer topaz. The name "citrine" is derived from the French word for lemon - CITRON. Citrine is actually somewhat rare in nature, most citrines on the market have been heat treated. Specimens of low grade, inexpensive amethyst or smoky quartz are often cooked at high temperatures to produce the more profitable orange yellow citrine. Citrines whose colors have been produced by artificial means tend to have much more of an orange or reddish caste than those found in nature, which are usually a pale yellow.

Unfortunately for citrine it is itself often confused with the more expensive orange-yellow topaz and is at times sold as topaz by unscrupulous dealers. This practice has soured many potential citrine fanciers who see citrine as a fake topaz and not as a legitimate gemstone. Natural citrine is often used in rings or pendants; less attractive gemstones are often made into necklaces. Citrine can naturally form together with amethyst making a bi-colored gemstone known as ametrine. Ametrine can be also made by heating an amethyst until it turns into citrine, then irradiating a part of the resulting crystal or gemstone to convert that portion back to amethyst. If left in sunlight for many hours a citrine will permanently change its coloring.