So how can you tell if your stone is actually Citrine, not heated, or some other yellow stone?

Experience! First off - Know that any rock shop selling Citrine is often selling Heated Citrine not Natural Citrine, especially if their labels don't clearly indicate 'heated' or 'natural'. Don't be afraid to ask staff. If they don't know, take that as a good indication they've got no idea about this phenomenon and are likely selling Heated Citrine. 

Coloration is the most obvious indication of heated or natural Citrine. Coloration is the first identification of its authenticity. Heated Citrine is a deeply saturated vibrant yellow often next to clear and/or white quartz. Heated Citrine is also Bright Orange to Deep Orange in hue. If the base of the crystal is white, it's likely heated Amethyst. There is some times a crackled texture within the crystal as well. Certain types of crackles within the crystal are indications of heat treatment. *Please note that color is not always fool proof. I've been collecting Citrine for several years and some of my African Citrine are almost as Orange as heated Citrine but not modified in any way. The color differentiation is subtle but you can still tell between the two!* 

Crystal Formation is another indication of natural verses heated Citrine. I've yet to see a Citrine Geode. Sure you'll see a cascade formation or even a small cluster but a geode? Never. If you see a crystal labeled as Citrine but it's part of a geode, I can almost guarantee that's a heat treated Amethyst! Most Citrine in my collection are single points or chunks. 

Locality is a huge topic the gem world is tackling right now. Does the shop you're purchasing from know what country, region, or continent your Citrine is from? My personal collection of Citrine is sourced from different localities in Africa. Not all places produce Citrine from their regional mines. If they don't know where their Citrine is from I'd bet it's heated more often than not. 

Elements within Citrine and Amethyst are slightly different. Both Citrine and Amethyst are Quartz varieties. What gives them their color are slightly different mineral compositions. Citrine features Iron within the mix. Amethyst features Iron and Aluminum. Amethyst is also purple from natural or applied irradiation. Heating amethyst, turning it orange or yellow doesn't ruin the stone but it is obviously different and still is amethyst deep down. Crystals are used to incredible geothermal temperatures. The heating process added to the stone definitely creates a different vibration and energy within the stone. I mean, you're turning a purple stone into its opposite color! Amethyst and Natural Citrine also have different healing properties. Heated Citrine is not the same as Natural Citrine when you get into the chemistry of it all. ​

The heated Citrine is farthest left with white on the bottom. This piece of Citrine I was given as a little girl the first time I panned for gems in North Carolina. I am fairly certain its country of origin is Brazil. This crystal the reason I call myself Citrine. BUT As you can see the color of the three other Citrine sourced from Tanzania are similar in color and one is even more orange than the heated Citrine. This is why I say experience is most important when identifying Heated Citrine. It's also important to source Citrine, or any crystal really, from a trusted source.

Imitation Citrine is widely available and probably most common. Heated Citrine doesn't have the same energy of Natural Citrine, but it has its own properties. While I don't prefer heated Citrine, it's pretty incredible that a purple stone can be heated into its complementary (opposite) color on the color wheel. It's impossible when mixing paint pigments to turn purple into yellow and vice versa. This is a mysterious process of its own. Pretty interesting don't you think?

It seems like every couple months I reach this point of 'NOTHING TASTES GOOD, What am I going to eat?' It is such a sad moment. It isn't a habit of mine to eat out these days, especially because I'm plant based majority of the time. Most take out is too greasy, salty, and simply not made with love! When the vibe of 'I don't have a taste for anything' hits, I search for new food and recipe ideas. Magazines or cook books are awesome resources for new ideas. There are also helpful cooking websites. One of my favorite websites is The Feel Good Foodie!  Here are a few of my favorite dishes to make from 2021 that hopefully inspire your taste buds! 
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Now these are something Craig and I made over and over again last year.  They are so delicious that Zucchini fritters will always be part of my food rotation. We do modify this recipe a bit by adding a plethora of vegetables into the mix, but this Zucchini fritter recipe is SO GOOD as is. 
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Soups are a staple in our house hold, especially in the winter months. It's filling, keeps you warm, and satisfies the soul. Not only that but you can always add cheese, toasted bread or croutons! This Lentil soup is packed with protein and love. You can always modify the seasonings to get the flavors you're looking for too. 
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This recipe is something that Craig showed me. We cut large flour tortilla in half. In a large pot add chopped carrots, potatoes, broccoli, really ANY vegetable you'd like to add. Save fresh onion and/or garlic to add a little later. When chopping your vegetables remember you'll be stuffing folded tortilla halves with these veggies so make sure they're chopped into small bits. When you add your chopped vegetables to your large pot, put the heat on low, pour in 2-3 table spoons of olive oil. Mix together then place lid on pot. Gather Cumin, Rosemary, Oregano, and Himalayan Salt. Stir your veggies then sprinkle with your seasonings into the pot then mix again. Place lid on top then let roast for 5-7 minutes or until soft enough for your preference. Add your onion and / or garlic about half way through your cook time. When your veggies are cooked and smelling fragrant, Turn stove off. Gather two small bowls/plates add water to one and olive oil to the other.  You'll also need a baking sheet or air frying grate. On a large plate or cutting board place your tortilla halves with the flat side up. Fold one corner 2/3 of the way over to the curved edge. Rub water on the folded side then fold the other corner in. Your Tortilla should look like a triangle now. Press the two folded side together. You can even press the tips of a fork into the surface to really secure them together. Lift your triangle with the curved, open edge up. Then add a pinch of cheese into the tip and fill with your cooked seasoned veggies! Leave about a half inch to the top available so you can fold them in, closing your samosa. Use your finger to put water on the first folded edge before you fold it closed. You can use your fork to press this closed edge down for reinforcement. Dip samosa in the olive oil spreading the oil across all sides then place on a baking sheet or into the air fryer 3 or 4 at a time. Bake or air fry for 10/15 minutes or until your desired crispiness. Let cool and ENJOY! 

We've been exposed to the best cheese ever - Smoked Mozzarella.  This cheese is made by a lovely small business named Murray's. Have  your tried this before? We get ours from Kroger. It's the best cheese to make at home pizzas! This is probably our most frequently made dish. It's simple to make, cooks up fairly quickly and always hits the spot. We use wheat greek pita bread as the crust some times we spread a couple drips of olive oil across the surface. Then sprinkle garlic powder, Oregano, Parsley, and rosemary onto the bread. Cover the surface with chopped poblano pepper, baby bella mushroom, onion, fresh parsley and any other topping you desire. Shred your fresh mozzarella, we recommend smoked mozz, the cover your toppings with cheese!  You can add your cheese first and put the toppings on the very top if that's your jam. Heat oven to 400 degrees or put into your air fryer on broil. Cook until bubbling and crispy on top. Its soo good! If you want to take your pizza to the next level top with parmesan! 
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This recipe is my most recent binge worthy creation. Apologies that this is less of a recipe and more of a description of this dish. Why chick peas? It's got great protein and it's higher in fiber than regular pasta. We boil a box of pasta made of chick peas with sautéed poblano peppers, baby bella mushrooms, chopped broccoli and onion. You can add literally any veggie to this mix. I like to season the veggies with rosemary, garlic, and freshly cracked salt. The sauce is oat milk based. I'll pour a generous amount of oat milk into a pan, you can melt half a stick or a quarter of a stick of butter in there but it's not required. Using a whisk I mix in  about 1/4 cup of chickpea flour. It's important not to over heat the sauce and to constantly whisk it! As this mixture of oat milk and chickpea flour heats up and begins to steam start adding parmesan cheese. We use Sartori Parmesan. Whisk the whole time and add parm until your sauce is thick. You'll want the cheese to be well mixed in and fully melted. If it's a little clumpy that is ok but the clumps can be avoided with whisking!! You can season the sauce with garlic powder, oregano, pepper, or any mixture of seasonings you like. I like to mix the pasta and the cheesy Alfredo sauce together. Some times I mix it all in. You can easily add chicken, shrimp or any meat you desire to this dish too. Sorry no pics of this dish! It gets eaten too quickly. Perhaps I should type up a precise recipe. What do you think? 

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