Lemon Quartz

A quartz variety showing vivid lemon yellow. Naturally occurring specimens are rare; most are produced by heating and irradiating amethyst or smoky quartz.

The colour derives from iron ions and minute defects within the crystal lattice. Similar to citrine, but brighter and cooler in tone. Not the warmth of honey—closer to early morning light.

Primarily from Brazil. One of those stones where the boundary between natural and treated is unclear. Whether the colour was given or drawn out—the stone offers no answer.

If you can identify your own pattern of dark thinking, you've already done half the work of leaving it. I chose this stone for the person at exactly that stage. Not a dramatic shift. One layer of cloud clearing. That turns out to be sufficient more often than you'd expect.