Ametrine Value, Price, and Jewelry Informa on

“Quartz Variety: Ametrine,” Anahí Mine, Santa Cruz Dept., Bolivia. 22.9 x 14.8 mm, 24.64 cts. © Rob Lavinsky, www.iRocks.com. Used with permission.

Amethyst is a purple quartz. Citrine is a yellow quartz. Quartz that displays bands of both purple and yellow is known as ametrine. Gem-quality ametrine is
from only a single site in Bolivia. Emerald cuts and fantasy carvings are popular ways to showcase the drama c color zoning in this very durable gemstone.

Ametrine Value
The Interna onal Gem Society (IGS) has a list of businesses offering gemstone appraisal services.

Ametrine Informa on
DATA VALUE

Name Ametrine

Is a Variety of Quartz

Crystallography  Hexagonal

Refrac ve Index  1.544-1.553

Colors  Amethyst-color zone can range from purple to violet-purple; citrine-color zone can range from yellow to orange. Gems can be cut to show a rosy gold, mauv
champagne or peach color.
DATA VALUE

Luster  Vitreous.

Fracture  Conchoidal

Hardness  7

Specific Gravity  2.651

Birefringence  0.009

Cleavage  None

Dispersion  0.013

Heat Sensi vity No

Luminescence  Inert to weak fluorescent colors, blueish or greenish (LW, SW).

Wearability  Very Good

Transparency  Transparent to translucent

Formula SiO2

Pleochroism  Amethyst-color sec ons may show pleochroism like amethysts, weak to moderate purple/reddish purple. Citrine-color sec ons may show pleochroism like
very weak yellow/orange shades.

Op cs  Uniaxial (+)

Etymology A combina on of the names amethyst and citrine.

“Ametrine Block,” (bolivianite). Photo taken at la Casa Nacional de Moneda (Na onal Mint), Potosí, Bolivia, by
Anakin~commonswiki. Licensed under CC By-SA 3.0.

Comments
Ametrine’s abrupt color transi on reflects slight fluctua ons in temperature and pressure during its forma on. Depending on these factors, iron impuri es
lead to the forma on of amethyst or citrine zones within a quartz stone. (Today, heat trea ng amethyst gems actually produces a great deal of citrine,
ar ficially. So, you can easily imagine how natural hea ng and/or cooling can produce the bi-colored quartz).

Like most quartz gems, ametrine occurs in fairly large, clean pieces. Thus, the price per carat doesn’t increase with larger size stones. Ametrine prices are ra
modest. As far as the material itself, the depth and vividness of colors and the dis nc on of the color separa on are the main value points. The ar stry of t
cu ng or carving adds most of the value to many ametrine pieces. You’ll find a world of difference between a commercial grade or na ve cut and a fine cus
stone, even when cut from the same rough material.

Heart-shaped and carved ametrines. Photos courtesy of Barbara Smigel, Ar s c Colored Stones.

Faceters, cabbers, and carvers all favor ametrine because of its clarity and good size. When this material entered the market in significant quan es in the 1
gem cu ers preferred emerald cut shapes with a 50/50 color split. Many s ll cut rough in this manner. Recently, some cu ers have begun to experiment w
variety of shapes. Many of these designs create internal reflec ons that blend the yellow and purple into a rac ve shapes of rosy gold, mauve, and champa
Other designs produce mosaic-like flashes of both yellow and purple.

“Ametrine and Silver Ring” by Mauro Cateb. Licensed under CC By 2.0.

Synthe cs
Both heat enhanced natural quartz and synthe c ametrine are available on the market. Op cally and physically, these materials match their natural counter
so gemological tes ng is necessary to dis nguish them. Detec ng twinning in natural quartz stones like ametrines used to be a sign of natural origin. Howe
synthe c quartz can now duplicate twinning.

Sources
Although ametrine was first reported from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, the Anahí Mine in Bolivia currently produces all the known, gem-quality material. The
peoples of the region have long valued this stone. However, the mine was seemingly lost to commercial interests a er the 17th century and not rediscovere
the 1960s.

Non-commercial deposits have also been found in the United States, Canada, India, and Mozambique.

“Ametrine” by Elderberry Arts. Licensed under CC By-SA 2.0.

Trade Names
Vendors some mes refer to ametrines as amethyst-citrine or citrine-amethyst. Other names include trys ne, bolivianite, and golden amethyst.

Care
Quartz gems make excellent jewelry stones, due to their rela vely high hardness of 7 and lack of cleavage. However, if worn daily, ring wear will eventually
polish. Ametrines require no special care, since they’re not sensi ve to temperature changes or household chemicals.

Consult our gemstone jewelry cleaning guide for more informa on.
 “A custom necklace made with a rough ametrine stone” by Brooke Scarborough.
Licensed under CC By 2.0.

by Joel E. Arem, Ph.D., FGA, Barbara Smigel, PhD. GG

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