In this article
GemStore team — written by the people who list and pack every stone.
Reviewed on
Traditional belief vs gemmology: anything on this page about luck, protection, planets, healing or religious tradition describes traditional and cultural beliefs — not proven effects, religious rulings or medical advice. A stone's identity, hardness, treatment and origin are gemmology, which a lab can test; the references at the end of the page cover that side.
Citrine (sunela) is the yellow to orange variety of quartz. In Pakistan it is often bought as a more affordable yellow stone in the Jupiter tradition, and it is also chosen simply because its warm colour suits gold and silver alike. Before you buy for either reason, two facts are worth knowing.
Fact one: most citrine started life as amethyst
Natural citrine is relatively rare and usually pale, a soft lemon or champagne. Most of the deep orange and reddish "Madeira" citrine on the market is amethyst that has been heated, which turns its purple to yellow-orange. Heating is a long-standing, stable and accepted treatment. It is still natural quartz, but it should be stated. Heated stones sometimes show a slightly reddish tinge; natural citrine tends to be more evenly pale.
Fact two: citrine is not pukhraj
Pukhraj is yellow sapphire, a corundum far harder and more valuable. Citrine is sometimes sold as "sunehri pukhraj" or simply as a cheaper substitute. Some astrologers accept citrine as an alternative stone for Jupiter; others insist on yellow sapphire. Make sure you know which one you are being sold and which one your adviser wants.
What the tradition says
In South Asian practice citrine is linked to Jupiter (Brihaspati) and is worn for abundance and optimism. These are beliefs and traditions, not guaranteed outcomes, and we do not promise results. If you are buying on an astrologer's recommendation, agree the weight (ratti), metal and finger with them before a ring is made; our rashi guide sets out the common pairings.
Picking a good stone
- Colour: clear golden yellow to warm orange, without brown or smoky tones, is the most sought after.
- Clarity: citrine is usually eye-clean, so visible inclusions should lower the price.
- Cut: a well-cut stone shows brightness across the whole face, with no dark, empty centre.
Keeping sunela bright
At 7 on the Mohs scale citrine handles everyday ring wear, though a hard knock can chip it. Like amethyst, its colour can lighten with long exposure to strong sun or heat, so store it in a closed box. Clean with warm soapy water.
Glass and lab-grown quartz
Yellow glass shows bubbles under magnification, and synthetic quartz can look too clean and uniform. A certificate of authenticity is available on request if you want written confirmation.
Browse sunela
Every stone in our citrine collection is inspected, photographed individually and listed with known treatments. Compare it with iron tiger eye or pearl if you are still deciding. Urdu and English names are on our names page, and we deliver by Cash on Delivery to Lahore, Karachi and every other city.
References
