Citrine facts for kids
Citrine is a word that can mean a few different things! Most often, it refers to a beautiful yellow color or a special type of yellow quartz crystal.
This article will help you learn more about what "Citrine" can be, from sparkling gemstones to important people and even characters in stories.
Contents
What is Citrine?
Citrine is mainly known for two things: a lovely shade of yellow and a popular type of quartz crystal. Let's explore both!
Citrine: The Color
The color citrine is a bright, sunny yellow. It often has a hint of orange, making it look like a lemon or a golden sunset. This color gets its name from the French word "citron," which means lemon. It's a cheerful and warm color often seen in nature.
Citrine: The Crystal
Citrine quartz is a beautiful yellow or orange-yellow type of quartz. Quartz is one of the most common minerals on Earth. Citrine gets its warm color from tiny amounts of iron inside the crystal.
How Citrine Quartz Forms
Most natural citrine is quite rare. Often, the citrine you see in stores is actually amethyst (a purple quartz) or smoky quartz (a brownish-gray quartz) that has been heated. When these crystals are heated, their color changes to the golden yellow of citrine. This heating process can happen naturally deep within the Earth, or it can be done by people.
Where Citrine Quartz is Found
Citrine quartz is found in many places around the world. Some of the main countries where it's mined include Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Madagascar. It's a popular gemstone used in jewelry because of its attractive color and sparkle.
People Named Citrine
The name Citrine has also been used by important people, especially in British history.
Walter Citrine: A Leader for Workers
Walter Citrine, 1st Baron Citrine (born 1887, died 1983) was a very important person in Britain. He was a strong leader for workers and also a politician.
What is a Trade Unionist?
Walter Citrine was a "trade unionist." This means he worked to create and lead groups called trade unions. Trade unions are organizations where workers come together to protect their rights and improve their working conditions, like getting fair pay and safe workplaces. Walter Citrine was a key figure in the British trade union movement for many years.
What is a Baron?
Later in his life, Walter Citrine was given a special title: Baron Citrine. In Britain, a baron is a noble title, which means it's a rank of honor given by the King or Queen. When someone becomes a baron, they can also become a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the British Parliament (like a government assembly). This shows how important Walter Citrine was to his country.
Citrine in Stories and Art
The name Citrine also appears in books and music!
Fictional Characters
- Charlie Citrine is a character in a famous book called Humboldt's Gift by an author named Saul Bellow.
- Citrine is also a character in the Xenosaga series, which are popular video games.
Music and Books
- Citrine is the name of a music album (specifically an "EP," which is a shorter album) released in 2016 by a singer named Hayley Kiyoko.
- The name Citrine is also sometimes used informally to refer to a book called ABC of Chairmanship, which was written by Walter Citrine himself. This book teaches people how to lead meetings effectively.
