Oh boy.....loaded question! This is such a loaded question because Citrine is a very important crystal in the crystal realm when it comes to energy work and manifestation. As many of us know, Citrine is all about abundance and many people who are trying to manifest abundance in their lives, particularly money, will utilize Citrine. That's all cool, but the biggest issue is that most Citrine that is sold out there is not REAL Citrine!
So, before we get into whether or not it makes a difference, energetically, whether the Citrine you are working with for crystal healing or crystal manifestation is the real McCoy, let's learn how to differentiate between the two. Real Citrine is actually quite rare and it is NOT the brilliant orange color that we have come to know of as Citrine. It is generally a pale champagne color and comes from the Congo, Zambia and to a lesser degree, Madagascar. Below are some examples of what this looks like:
As opposed to "fake citrine" as is evidenced below:
"Fake" or "treated" Citrine is actually heated Amethyst, which is vastly more common and affordable; occassionally it is even treated Smokey Quartz. How do you treat it to arrive at the typical crystal we are calling Citrine (but is not Citrine)? You usually begin with a poorly or lightly colored Brazilian Amethyst. Then you heat it in a kiln to over 900°F (482°C). If you want it to go dark yellow or to red-brown (Madeira color) then you go up to 1022-1040°F (550-560°C). Some Smoky Quartz can turn Citrine color as cool as 390°F (199°C).
How can you tell the difference?
Real Citrine is normally more expensive, because it is much, much more rare.
Treated Citrine generally has a distinctive and contrasting white base rather than a uniform color from tip to base.
Treated Amethyst can be quite easy to crumble because it has been heat treated.
Real Citrine does not come in a geode.
The color: learn to spot the brilliant or Maderia oranges which are typically the hallmark of treated Amethyst.
Energetically - the more sensitive you are to the vibrations of crystals the more you are going to see the difference. You will still definately get the crystal vibrational energy that comes from Amethyst.....which is more spiritual and etheric vs the solar plexus real world manifesting and abundance energy of Citrine. HOWEVER - as with any crystal work, intention is key and if you are intending to work with Citrine, you will be able to tap into that energy whether you are working with treated Amethyst or not. HOWEVER....for Citrine work, genuine Citrine is best and the easiest to work with for manifestation and abundance. Asthetically, it really depends what you are happy with. My analogy would be to a pure breed dog and a garden variety mutt. A mutt is still a dog and if the difference doesn't matter to you, you still have a perfectly lovely companion and friend, albeit, a mutt.