mineral

Yellow Quartz (or Citrine Quartz)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Pale yellow to smoky yellowish-brown; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture; Specific gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: Pale yellow to smoky yellowish-brown
Luster: Vitreous (glassy)

Identified April 4, 2026More mineral →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Pale yellow to smoky yellowish-brown; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture; Specific gravity: 2.65

Formation & geological history

Formed in igneous and metamorphic rocks, particularly pegmatites and hydrothermal veins. This specimen is shaped and polished from natural quartz crystals that acquired their color through trace elements of iron or natural geothermal radiation.

Uses & applications

Primarily used for decorative purposes, carving (lapidary art), jewelry, and by collectors for metaphysical or aesthetic home decor.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. While natural Citrine is rare, most commercially available yellow quartz of this shade is heat-treated Amethyst or Smoky Quartz.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its ability to scratch glass and its lack of cleavage. It is commonly found in Brazil, Madagascar, and the United States. For collectors, look for the 'scaly' internal inclusions visible in the photo which indicate it is a natural stone rather than glass.

Other mineral specimens

See all

Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

Epidote

Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)

metamorphic

Nephrite Jade

Nephrite

Mineral/Rock

Banded Gneiss (River Rock/Pebble)

Gneiss (specifically a banded variety often found as a river rock)

Metamorphic Rock

Green Apatite on Albite

Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]

mineral

Epidote

Epidote - Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)3(SiO4)3(OH)

mineral