Citrine Meaning: Here’s What it Means and How to Use it?

Wondering what citrine is? Read on to discover our complete guide on the meaning of citrine where you’ll learn it’s definition, origins, and more. 

Your writing, at its best

Compose bold, clear, mistake-free, writing with Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant

You may have heard someone associate citrine with the month of November, or perhaps your bestie once suggested citrine to welcome abundance, prosperity, and positivity — but do you know what the word citrine means? Not to worry, we’ve got the 411.

Read on to discover everything you need to know about the word citrine, including its definition, origin, and more. Let’s get started!

What iI the Definition of Citrine 

When looking to truly understand the meaning of a word, it can be helpful to review a number of definitions as opposed to one. So, to begin our journey in understanding citrine, let’s review the three definitions listed below:

After reviewing the definitions listed above, we can conclude that citrine is a semiprecious yellow stone.

What Are the Physical Properties of Citrine? 

Although it can vary from stone to stone, citrine crystals are usually pale yellow, yellow-brown, orange, dark orange, or reddish-brown in color. They are formed when purple amethyst undergoes heat treatment — which is why you may hear someone call citrine “burnt amethyst.”

The color of citrine is caused by chemical impurities. In short, it’s the iron in the stone that gives it its gorgeous yellow color. 

The majority of today’s citrine comes from Brazil, but the stone is also mined in Africa, Russia, Mexico, and Madagascar. Citrine holds a deep significance in the Feng Shui community and is considered a lucky stone by Feng Shui enthusiasts.   

What Is the Origin of Citrine? 

Believe it or not, citrine quartz has been loved since ancient times. The name “citrine” was used to refer to yellow gemstones as early as 1385 when the term was first recorded in English. 

The name citrine comes from Latin citrina because of its light yellow citrus color (due to its iron content). 

Back in the day, citrine was commonly referred to as the “sun stone.” Why? Because the beloved gemstone was thought capable of holding sunlight. In addition, citrine was thought useful in the protection from snakebites. 

The gemstone’s pale sunny color was often associated with gold which is likely why it later became well-known as the merchant’s stone. 

Citrine was thought to improve communication, promote prosperity, and attract abundance. To the ancient Romans, it was the stone of Mercury as well as the messenger god — and it was used for carving intaglios.

What Are the Metaphysical Properties of Citrine?

The metaphysical properties of the beautiful citrine stone are that it inspires confidence, clear-mindedness, and motivation to pursue your goals and reach your dreams. 

It cleanses the chakras, opens intuition, attracts prosperity, and imparts joy, wonder, delight, and enthusiasm. The powers of citrine are said to raise self-esteem, revitalize the mind, and release negative traits. In other words, citrine is emotionally balancing. 

What Is Citrine Associated With?

Seeing as citrine is one of the world’s most popular gemstones, it’s really not surprising that the stone is associated with many things, such as:

  • Energy: Projective 
  • Element: Fire 
  • Planet: Sun, Jupiter 
  • Chakra: Crown and Solar Plexus
  • Powers: Protection, Psychic Power 
  • Deities: Persephone, Mercury 
  • Zodiac: Gemini
  • Powers: Protection, Psychism, Nightmare Prevention 
  • Candle Color: Lemon Yellow
  • Flowers and Herbs: Primrose and Daffodil
  • Other Crystals: Golden Topaz and Yellow Diamond

As awesome as citrine is, these pairings show that some things really are better together.

Other Popular Stones

Although the warm tones of the citrine stone simply can’t be beaten, there are many other stones that you may find just as beautiful, such as: 

  • Rose Quartz for self-love
  • Agate for mental strength and clarity
  • Labradorite for preserving the sanity of the soul
  • Fluorite for balance and coordination
  • Topaz for focus and confidence
  • Jade for luck
  • Sapphire for prosperity
  • Tiger’s Eye for motivation

Do you have any of these in your crystal collectin?

Using the Word Citrine in a Sentence

Now that you understand what citrine is let’s take a look at a few examples to help you feel comfortable using the term as a part of your vocabulary.

My favorite color is yellow, so obviously, my favorite gemstone is citrine!

My teacher wore citrine shoes today that reminded me of lemons.

Topaz and citrine birthstone rings come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

She’s has a blue purse and is wearing a citrine necklace, red shoes, and a black dress.

The healing properties of the citrine crystal are unbelievable.

Did you know that citrine is said to stimulate digestion and neutralize kidney and bladder inflammation?

I like to keep my citrine stone in my pocket when I leave the house.

I was experiencing really bad mood swings, so my bestie suggested I look into the citrine stone.

I feel like citrine gives me a nice creativity boost whenever I run into a slump.

Conclusion

So, are you still wondering what citrine is?

Simply put, citrine is a crystal that is a popular member of the quartz mineral class. It’s mined in Brazil, the Ural Mountains of Russia, Spain, Madagascar, and even Scotland. The citrine crystal is a ripe summer stone and is a part of the same family as amethyst, smoky quartz, rose quartz, and clear quartz

From bringing good vibes and raising energy levels to clearing out the sacral and solar plexus chakras, citrine is an excellent stone to bring into the home — especially if you want to nurture a positive, loving, and playful space.

Whether you’re looking to manifest more wealth, stronger health, or happiness, the citrine stone just might be what you need to make your dreams a reality. 

Sources:

  1. Citrine Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com
  2. CITRINE English Definition and Meaning | Lexico.com
  3. Citrine definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary