Citrine
A golden yellow colour named after the citron fruit and seen in quartz gemstones
Citrine is a golden yellow colour, most often linked to certain varieties of quartz gemstones. The name comes from the citron fruit, and over time, citrine has described shades from greenish-yellow to brownish yellow or orange. Today, it is mainly used for gemstones and to describe some birds and plants.
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- Named after the citron fruit
- First recorded as a colour in English in 1386
- Most often refers to golden yellow quartz gemstones
- Has described shades from greenish-yellow to orange
What colour is Citrine?
Citrine is a colour that sits between yellow and gold, often described as a medium deep golden yellow. It can also appear as greenish-yellow, brownish yellow, or even orange, depending on the context. The colour is most commonly seen in certain types of quartz gemstones, which display this rich, warm yellow shade. Citrine stands apart from other yellows by its depth and the hint of gold or brown that can be present.
Where does Citrine come from?
The word citrine comes from the citron fruit, and its name was taken into English from Latin in the late 14th century. Early uses of the word covered a wider range of colours, including reddish or brownish yellow, orange, and amber. Over time, its meaning narrowed, and today it mostly refers to the golden yellow found in quartz gemstones and in the names of some animals and plants.
Where Citrine is used
Today, citrine as a colour is mainly used to describe gemstones, especially certain types of quartz. It also appears in the names of some birds and plants that have golden-yellow features, such as the citrine wagtail and citrine warbler. Outside of these contexts, the term is less commonly used.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
The yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.
Sacred and holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.
Weddings and marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudOn Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, young women wear yellow and orange saris, a shade called basanti, with flowers in their hair.
Festival and celebrationNature and renewalJoySource: Pohela FalgunThe Flemish flag is a black lion on yellow, and the Walloon flag a red cockerel on yellow. The language communities are often shown by these colours.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of FlandersThe flag is yellow, the colour of the Sultan. By custom, ordinary people did not wear yellow in the ruler's presence.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: Flag of BruneiThe national football team plays in a yellow shirt with green trim, the canarinho. It was chosen in a newspaper contest after the 1950 World Cup final was lost in white.
Festival and celebrationPrideJoySource: Brazil national football teamShades and relatives of Citrine
Citrine has been used for a range of yellow shades, from greenish-yellow to brownish yellow and orange. In the past, it could also refer to amber or reddish yellow. Now, it is most closely tied to the golden yellow of citrine quartz, but can still be confused with similar shades like amber or gold.
Colours that go with Citrine
Harmonies are worked out from the value #E4D00A. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Citrine
What colour is citrine?
Citrine is a golden yellow shade, sometimes described as greenish-yellow, brownish yellow, or orange. It is most often seen in certain varieties of quartz gemstones.
Where does the name citrine come from?
The name citrine comes from the citron fruit. It was borrowed into English from Latin in the late 14th century.
What is citrine used to describe today?
Today, citrine mainly describes the colour of some quartz gemstones and is also used in the names of animals and plants with golden-yellow colouring, such as the citrine wagtail.
Has the meaning of citrine changed over time?
Yes, in the past citrine referred to a wider range of colours, including reddish or brownish yellow, orange, and amber. Now, it is mostly linked to golden yellow.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Citrine (colour)", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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