There are few references in history to Citrine, perhaps because of the stone's rarity. The first occurrences seem to be the use of Citrine by Romans for intaglio and cabochon in the first centuries after the birth of Christ. The Naphtali tribe of Israel is associated with Citrine. During the Romantic Period of history (1837-1860), Citrine saw increased use as a gemstone in jewelry.

Today Citrine is one of the most affordable gemstones, thanks to the durability and availability of this golden quartz. Named from the French name for lemon, "citron," many citrines have a juicy lemon color. Citrine includes yellow to gold to orange brown shades of transparent quartz.