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[Lotsofquestions]

Hello!

This is my first post on Lapidary Forum, hoping you guys might be able to help me with these beads...

I recently bought these finished citrine beads as I’ve been looking for some in this irregular pebble shape for a project. I was also drawn to their pale colour as a lot of the citrine beads I’ve seen generally for sale are of a very deep yellow/orange.

Most of them are like in the first picture, with a relatively consistent pale yellow colour. But a few of them, like in the second photo, have distinct colourless areas and yellow areas, and some have quite sharp change in colour, almost a “block” of deep yellow that crisply becomes colourless.

I’m just wondering if anyone can advise if this is common in citrine, and how these beads might have been treated? I’m pretty sure they are natural quartz and not glass. I’ve looked at them under a 10x and 20x loupe and can’t see any air bubbles and they have typical quartz inclusions. They also scratch glass easily. I know they are almost certainly heated, but wondering if they may have been dyed or iron stained etc?

Keen to hear anyone’s thoughts!

[Stonemon]

I am no help with the beads, but welcome to the forum!

[vitzitziltecpatl]

Looks more like natural zoning than any sort of treatment to me.

[lithicbeads]

Natural but very pale rough.

[Felicia]

Doesn't look treated, think you got real citrine.