How can you tell if a crystal has been heat treated?

[mamabear]

I have had the piece pictured below for probably 30 yrs. I didn't find it, it was given to me. Always wondered if it was heat treated to get that "root beer" affect. How can you tell?

 

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[StoneWhisper]

Not to sound too blunt & short on a reply, But.. Yes.. Heat Treated..

But let me continue.. I would say that your crystal.. would be considered to be "overly" heat treated or even abused.. It's unclear if it actually started out as a citrine, amethyst or something else.. then heat treated to enhance it's appearances.. Our trip to Points of Light via Asheville, North Carolina proved what I've been saying for years.. The color of an untreated (Natural) citrine should be a pale urine color and not the concentrated darker color.

Non-Heat Treated Reference Colors:

• Pale Urine
• Apple Juice (hint of white grape juice)
• Kairo Syrup (slight hint of yellow)
• Vegetable oil (unused lite)

Heat Treated References Colors:

• Honey
• Brewed Tea
• Molasses
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Vegetable oil (used burnt)

Note: In this case.. common reasons minerals are heat treated, is because the minerals have been over exposed to sunlight and fading has occurred. Often what happens is an amethyst is left in the sun for too long (over exposure) and faded.. once the fading starts if can't be reversed and the stone/crystal is heat treated afterward. Thus one may noticed slight purple color at the base of the crystals. Then simply turning around and attempting to sell it on the market as an orange citrine..

 

[mamabear]

Thanks for the info SW

 

[StoneWhisper]

hah.. I just noticed what you used to prop the Heat Treated Amethyst up.. Nice Crystal wand/point you have.

 

[Eu_citzen]

99% of all citrine is probably heated, however you can't heat quartz to create amethyst.

Regarding heating, you can't tell if it's been heated when its a citrine. Unless you picked it out of the ground, assume it is treated.

 

[mamabear]

EU that is very sad. I hate to think of so much citrine being treated. It is so beautiful in its natural state. I heard somewhere if you heat treat amethyst, it turns brown?
SW yup that was one of many crystals I dug at Ron Colemans. I am sooo ready to go back.

 

[mamabear]

Here is a shot of the wand solo

 

[loco oro]

hey mama,are you positive that is a quartz,that matierial looks like sphalerite,in its natural color/on a zinc gangue/blende,if it came from your area ,the lead belt is notourious for that stuff. i.e i am refering to your first pic at the top.if so ,a uv light will make it floresce a orange color,also sphalerite is tribulecent,meaning if you stroke it with a steel knife point ,it will emit flashes of orange. just my 2 cents, i like it what ever it may be!

 

[Eu_citzen]

if it wasn't treated there wouldn't be much citrine on the market in the first place. A while ago it was a very rare gem indeed.
Citrine is heated amethyst by the way, either by human hand or by nature.

 

[mamabear]

loco, I will look into it. It has crystalline structure that is prominent here in the lead belt. I can' find my rock book, must have loaned it to someone.
EU, I just have this thing for natural untouched stones. I love what mother nature gives us. I do have a giant faceted citrine my ma found at junk shop. will try to find it.