Published May 2014  •  Updated February 2024  •  Read Time: 7 minutes
Ametrine is a rare variety of quartz that combines the peaceful and wise energies of purple Amethyst with the happy confidence of yellow Citrine.  This distinctive crystal is found only in a single deposit in Bolivia.  Trace particles of iron give Ametrine its two colors. Normally when any quartz crystal forms, it cools down at a constant rate and turns a single color, but in this case the temperature abruptly changed midway  and so two different colors formed.  Ametrine is a wonderful stone when we need to see both sides of a situation or make difficult choices.  It’s energy is can also help us to be true to ourselves and more accepting of others.

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Ametrine Meaning

Spiritual Healing Properties

Ametrine combines the serenity of Amethyst with the enthusiasm of Citrine, creating a unique energy that encourages wise action. It grants us access to spiritual insights that lead to joy. Ametrine is particularly good for anyone exploring Incan shamanism or other forms of South American spirituality. When used in meditation, it guides us to a feeling of being peacefully expansive and clear. Ametrine releases prejudices, particularly those related to race, religion or nationality. It shatters any negative programming that makes us see “others” as “lesser” and instead helps us to truly appreciate people different than ourselves.

Metaphysical Properties Ametrine
Chakra Crown and Solar Plexus
Element Wind and Fire
Numerology 4
Zodiac Gemini and Libra

Emotional Healing Properties

Ametrine is a joyful stone as well as a peaceful one. It encourages us to release our worries and to enjoy life more. It asks us to see uncertainty as an adventure, and to be open to the idea that it all will work out, rather than being doomed to failure before it even starts. Ametrine reminds us that we are capable and worthy of living happily ever after. Ametrine lends us its cheerful energy. It enhances a pleasant attitude, making it easier for us to work well with others, as well as to accept and be true to ourselves. If there are parts of us that don’t feel compatible, Ametrine teaches self-integration. Ametrine also champions healthy relationships and good boundaries. Anyone who has ever been asked to choose between two loves will benefit from working closely with Ametrine. It encourages us to say “and” rather than “or” whenever possible and desirable.

Mental Healing Properties

Ametrine stimulates incredible creativity and enables us to make extraordinary mental leaps. The sensible energy of Amethyst is combined with the enthusiasm of Citrine, and together they help us to take control of our lives and make better choices. Ametrine also helps us to understand different points of view and to find win-win solutions. It is a fantastic talisman for anyone who wants to improve the world, and needs to be both realistic and inspirational. If we are in a position to take charge, Ametrine gives us the courage and the wisdom to lead well. If we need to be an ally and supporter, Ametrine helps us to know when to speak up or take action, and when to encourage other voices or to bring other people to the table. It is a stone of balance, reminding us that sometimes we need to be active and other times we need to rest, and that both energies are equally important.

Physical Healing Properties

Ametrine is recommended if we need to stop struggling against something we can’t change and accept reality. It is also recommended if we have become foolishly resigned about something we have the power to change and need to be shaken out of our inertia. In both cases, Ametrine helps us to see reality clearly and to take swift action for our own inner peace and happiness. Ametrine is a sensible talisman for both age-related problems and stress-related problems. If we have trouble finding the right doctor or treatment plan, Ametrine helps us to be patient yet determined while we navigate the healthcare system. It is a comforting talisman for anyone undergoing an organ transplant who is concerned about the body accepting this lifesaving gift.

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Ametrine Mineralogy

Where does Ametrine come from?

Ametrine is a rare variety of Quartz found only in Bolivia.

Mining and Treatments

Ametrine comes from the Anahi Mine in eastern Bolivia, close to the border of Brazil.  The mine follows quartz veins in dolomitic limestone.  Amethyst makes up 44% of the product, Citrine is 23%, and the rare Ametrine making up the final 33%.  Low-quality Clear Quartz and Snow Quartz is also mined, but not exported.  Most of the mining occurs undergrown, although there is some strip mining when the quartz vein is near the surface.

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Bolivia

The Environmental & Social Impact of Crystals

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Mineral Family

Ametrine is a type of Quartz and a Silicate mineral.  Silicate minerals are the largest family of minerals, including more than 25% of all known minerals and 40% of all common minerals. In addition to being a major part of the Earth’s crust, silicate minerals have also been found on the moon and in meteorites. Silicates are minerals which contain the elements silicon (a light gray shiny metal) and oxygen (a colorless gas). Together, these two elements form a tetrahedra – a shape similar to a pyramid – with a silicon atom in the center and oxygen atoms at each of the three corners. These tetrahedra connect with other chemical structures, in six different ways, to form a wide variety of minerals and rocks.  There are six main groups of silicate minerals, and these main groups are further subdivided into secondary subdivisions, such as Quartz and Feldspar.  The Quartz family has two main main groups, macr0-crystalline and micro-crystalline.  The macro-crystalline minerals form large well-shaped crystals that are often transparent, while the micro-crystalline only form microscopic crystals and are always opaque.  Ametrine is a macro-crystalline quartz that combines both purple Amethyst and yellow Citrine into a single multi-colored crystal

Ametrine’s energy works well with its family – other macrocrystalline Quartz minerals.  Try it in combination with AmethystCitrine, Clear QuartzPrasioliteRose Quartz, and Smoky Quartz.

Ametrine Formation and Crystal Associates

Quartz crystals are created when liquid magma from a volcanic eruption cools down and transforms into igneous rocks. During this cooling down period, silica acid bubbles shift from being a gas/liquid into a solid compound. The bubble becomes a hollow space in the igneous rock and the silica acid becomes Quartz crystals.  Once the Quartz has formed, a large hollow is often called a “druze,” while a smaller hollow is a “geode.”  These druze and geodes can be removed from the host rock and then split open to revel the crystals inside.

If no trace elements are present to change its color, the silica acid becomes Clear Quartz.  If trace minerals are present, then the color changes.  For example, both Amethyst and Ctrine get their coloring from trace particles of iron heated to different temperatures.  In the case of Ametrine, the temperature changed mid-way, creating a stone that is partially purple and partially yellow.

Ametrine’s energy works well with its “friends” – crystal associates formed in the same geological environment.  Try it in combination with Hematite

Mineralogy Ametrine
Chemical Formula SiO2
Cleavage None
Color Purple and yellow
Crystal System Hexagonal/trigonal
Form/Habit Prismatic
Fracture Conchoidal
Hardness – Mohs Scale 7
Luminescence Pale yellow, white, or blue (short and long wave)
Luster Vitreous
Mineral Family Tectosilicate
Specific Gravity 2.7
Streak White
Transparency Translucent to opaque

History of Ametrine

The earliest known historical reference for Ametrine dates to the 16th century Spanish explorations of South America.  What is positively known, is that a conquistador, returning to Spain after adventuring in Bolivia, gave a gift of Ametrine to the Spanish Queen Juana I (1479-1555). The conquistador said that he had acquired the pretty gems as part of his wife’s dowry. Where the European history trails off, Bolivian tradition expands upon the story.

According to legend, a conquistador named Felipe de Urriola y Goitia was traveling with a Spanish expedition in Eastern Bolivia and made peaceful contact with the Ayoreo tribe. The princess of this tribe, Anahi, soon fell in love with Don Felipe and the two were married. Princess Anahi’s father gave Don Felipe an Ametrine mine as part of the marriage contract. Sometime later, Don Felipe decided it was time to return to Spain and asked Princess Anahi to go with him.

The Princess was torn in her loyalties, but ultimately agreed to follow her husband wherever he must travel. Her tribesmen did not understand her decision and conspired to murder Don Felipe. Princess Anahi warned her husband in time and he managed to flee to safety. Unfortunately, Princess Anahi was mortally injured during the conflict. As she lay dying, she begged to see her husband once more and Don Felipe returned. She placed a beautiful Ametrine in his hand and told him to keep it forever as a token of her eternal love. The stone’s dual colors perfectly expressed the feelings in her heart, which loved her husband as well as her people. Princess Anahi died in her husband’s arms, and afterwards Don Felipe was allowed to return to Spain without further conflict. Today, virtually all Ametrines come from the Anahi Mine in Eastern Bolivia, likely the very same mine that was the Princess’s dowry 500 years ago.

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