Talkin Crystals II - Fake, Baked & Dyed

I'm not a big fan of Citrine.
It's just one of those Stones that I'm not drawn to.
Not to long ago I came upon a piece I couldn't resist.
I had to hold it.
Couldn't put it down.
The piece came home with me.
My first intention was to place it in the "Wealth"
Corner of my home,
but it didn't seem right.
Couldn't figure why,
After all Citrine is a stone of wealth.
The Citrine found it's home upon
one of my altars, nestled among a collection of Amethyst.
Perhaps My lady had chosen it, and so it remained there.

One day while researching Crystals
I came across "Baked" Citrine.
What exactly is it? Amethyst.
Yes, You heard right.

Amethyst & Citrine are varieties of Quartz.
Citrine is a lemon color, often very pale.
But it is also found in a rich Brown variety.
Amethyst is purple.
They are very similar & both respond well
to heat treatments.
The heat enhances their natural color
in varying degrees and can, in the case of Amethyst -
Change the actual color.
Amethyst then "becomes" Citrine.
Why?
Besides enhancing the color for visual appeal,
There is an abundance of Amethyst
Especially in places such as Brazil.
The mystery was solved.
I love working with Amethyst.
Inadvertently I chose Amethyst.
The right crystal had found it's way to me,
But a lesson was learned.
There are many other enhanced Crystals &
Gemstones on the market.
Turquoise & "Green" Quartz among them.
Real Turquoise is hard to find & costly.
Often times what passes for Turquoise
is simply dyed Howlite.

Many times Shop owners themselves
are unaware.
Take the time to learn before you purchase.
I'd recommend a visit to the following websites,
They are excellent sources of information.
http://www.antoinettematlins.com/
The American Gem Trade Association
http://www.agta.org/