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Everything You Need To Know About Citrine, According To Experts
If you're looking for a crystal that can help promote confidence and clarity, look no further than citrine. Here, we're digging into what citrine is, its benefits, and how to use it, according to experts.
What is citrine?
Citrine is a variety of quartz that can be found throughout the world. Most citrine available today is mined in Brazil or Uruguay, with known deposits in Russia, Madagascar, and Kazakhstan, as well. It ranges in color from lighter yellows to deeper, brownish yellows; shades of orange; and many hues in between.
"Just like clear quartz has inclusions of aluminum and lithium, that's what helps create the kind of golden smoky color you see in natural citrine," explains Ashley Leavy, founder and educational director of the Love and Light School of Crystal Therapy.
There's also heat-treated citrine, she adds, which is commonly called "fake citrine" or "baked amethyst." Heat-treated citrine is amethyst, another variety of quartz, that's been heated to change its color from purple to shades of yellow, amber, etc.
Even if it's heat-treated, Yulia Van Doren, author of Crystals: The Modern Guide to Crystal Healing and founder of Goldirocks, tells mbg that doesn't mean your citrine is not a potent crystal. In fact, many common gemstones are heat-treated, such as topaz, she says, adding, "It's the industry standard that quartz which is orange or yellow is called citrine."
Types of citrine crystals.
As previously mentioned, there is natural citrine, and there is heat-treated citrine. Along with those two types, Leavy says there are some other reported varieties, like madeira citrine, which is a darker variety of citrine.
There's also something called Kundalini citrine, she notes, which isn't a specific variety but rather a specific formation, called the abundance formation. "[The abundance formation] is one large crystal surrounded by smaller crystals around the base. It's specifically used or connected with wealth and prosperity and abundance and manifesting," she explains.
Healing properties:
It can help boost confidence.
When you think citrine, think confidence. This stone is great for "anything to do with your confidence, your sense of self, your actual physical energy and showing up brightly, confidently strongly," Van Doren says, adding, "Citrine is a fantastic one for energizing your dreams, your goals, and your willpower."
It can promote a positive mood.
According to crystal expert Heather Askinosie, citrine is also connected with the energy of the sun, promoting a sense of happiness and light. "It helps you to feel good about yourself, infusing your aura with confidence, joy, and overall energy," she previously wrote for mbg.
It helps inspire clarity and focus.
Along with being great for confidence, citrine can also help inspire the new ideas that come from mental clarity. Citrine "connects with intelligence and wisdom in the mental aspect, so it's great for getting some clarity—either general mental clarity if you're feeling overwhelmed—or clarity about a specific situation," Leavy says.
It can attract abundance.
Leavy tells mbg that citrine has also long been connected with wealth, prosperity, and abundance. It's a good crystal to use if you're looking to attract success, she says, adding this makes sense, given its ability to boost confidence, inner strength, and courage.
It supports the solar plexus chakra.
And last but not least, citrine is excellent for the solar plexus chakra (which is, fittingly, associated with the color yellow). "Citrine is a fantastic stone for powering up your solar plexus, which is your center related to the way you show up in the world," Van Doren says.
How to use citrine:
Meditate with it.
One of the simplest ways to work with citrine—or any crystal for that matter—is to meditate with it. Van Doren tells mbg she recommends meditating on a specific dream or goal with a piece of citrine in your hand, using the following visualization:
- Find a quiet spot and kick off your shoes so your feet can make a connection with the ground.
- Hold a piece of citrine in your hands, or lay one on your navel, and imagine a specific goal you have. Visualize that goal in a clear balloon, and let it hang a few feet in front of you.
- Imagine energizing flames beginning to emerge from your citrine crystal, flickering upward and outward, slowly changing the color of the balloon from clear to a golden, fiery orange.
- With a puff, blow the shimmering balloon up and away, to the land where dreams always come true and to-do lists are always finished on time.
- Don't forget to thank your crystal when finished; your gratitude unplugs your personal energy from the crystal, a very important final step.
Keep a piece in your workspace.
Thanks to citrine's confidence-boosting abilities, Van Doren says it's a perfect crystal for the workplace. Askinosie previously said the same, suggesting that when you're at your desk each morning, you close your eyes and hold a piece of citrine in your hands.
"Visualize love and light all around you. Place it atop your business card on your desk as a reminder throughout the day to vibrate at your highest level," she says.
Wear it as jewelry.
Of course, another easy way to work with your citrine is to wear it as jewelry, Leavy says. That way, you can have it on you all day to enjoy its effects. (More on how to wear citrine in a bit.)
Use it in a spell jar.
If you're into crafting spell jars or spell pouches, Leavy says, citrine makes a great addition to place inside. This is particularly true if your spell has anything to do with any of citrine's aforementioned themes, like abundance, confidence, or clarity.
Keep it somewhere you want more positive energy.
Is there a spot in your home that feels a bit low-energy? Perk it up with a piece of citrine, Askinosie previously suggested. "Placing this crystal in your space is like adding a pillar of positivity and joy. As soon as you see it and hold it in your hands, its energy puts a smile on your face," she notes.
Citrine in combination with other crystals.
According to Leavy and Van Doren, citrine can work in tandem well with a number of other crystals, and there aren't any they would advise against pairing it with.
In particular, though, Van Doren likes to pair citrine with amethyst or rose quartz, given that they often have the same origin. She says it can work well with grounding crystals like black tourmaline, smoky quartz, and hematite too.
And according to Leavy, sodalite also makes a great companion to citrine. "They're not quite opposite each other on the color wheel, but fairly close," she tells mbg, adding they have a really nice balance of energies. "Whereas citrine has this really vibrant energy, sodalite has a quality that's very calming—so it helps you kind of stay present and think things through instead of just taking rash action," she explains.
Cleansing & charging your crystal.
If you feel like your citrine crystal may need a little pick-me-up, you're in luck, because it's very easy to cleanse and/or charge this stone. Leavy says any of your standard methods of cleansing or charging can be used.
Just be mindful about leaving your crystal out in the sunlight for a refresh, Leavy notes, as this can cause citrine to fade. If you are going to charge it in the sun, limit it to 15 minutes to be safe.
Beyond that, you can charge it in ways that are specific to whatever intention you set. If you're using your citrine for self-confidence, for example, you could charge it on top of a photo of yourself, Leavy suggests.
FAQs:
Is citrine a birth stone?
Yes, citrine is one of the birthstones for November; however, topaz is more commonly known as the "first" or "official" November birthstone.
Which zodiac sign is it associated with?
Given that citrine is connected to the sun and sunlight, it's fittingly associated with Leo (which happens to be astrologically ruled by the sun).
Which chakra is associated with citrine?
Citrine is most associated with the solar plexus chakra, relating to many of the themes of this chakra: confidence, energy, control, etc.
Is citrine a good crystal to sleep with?
Leavy and Van Doren both note that this all depends on citrine's effect on you personally, and what your intention is. If you want to manifest confidence while you snooze, for example, you can give it a go. But if its energy is coming on too strong, and you think it could be interfering with your sleep, maybe a calmer crystal is a more suitable option.
How should it be worn as jewelry?
Van Doren says citrine is a great one to wear on your hands, whether rings or a bracelet, given the hands are so involved in how we show up in the world through our work. She recommends wearing it on your dominant hand.
Along with wearing it on your hands, Leavy says you can also wear it as a pendant over your heart if you wanted to inspire self-love. Or perhaps if mental clarity is what you're needing, you could wear it as earrings. It's ultimately all up to you and your intention here.
The bottom line.
Citrine is a wonderful addition to any crystal collectors' supply. Its benefits are as varied as its uses; it's easy to find in your nearest crystal shop; and it's sure to help inspire confidence however you choose to incorporate it into your spiritual practice.
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