mineral

Citrine (or Yellow Chalcedony / Quartz)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Golden yellow, honey brown, to pale amber. Luster: Vitreous to waxy. Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal. Cleavage: None, exhibits conchoidal fracture. Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: Golden yellow, honey brown, to pale amber
Luster: Vitreous to waxy

Identified July 27, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed in igneous pegmatites, hydrothermal veins, or sedimentary alluvial deposits. Natural citrine gets its yellow color from traces of iron impurities combined with heat.

Uses & applications

Widely used as a gemstone in jewelry, pocket stones, decorative carving, and crystal healing/metaphysical practices.

Geological facts

Natural citrine is quite rare; much of the commercial citrine on the market is actually heat-treated amethyst or smoky quartz. It is often called the 'Merchant's Stone' due to associations with wealth and prosperity.

Field identification & locations

Identified by its Mohs hardness of 7 (scratches glass), glass-like to waxy luster, lack of cleavage, and translucent warm yellow-brown color. Found in Brazil, Madagascar, Russia, and the United States.

Other mineral specimens

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Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

Soil with Mineral Detritus and Quartz Fragments

Regolith / Silicate Mineral Aggregate

sedimentary

Limonite / Goethite (Iron Ore Mineral nodule)

FeO(OH)·nH2O / FeO(OH)

mineral

Schist

Metamorphic

Septarian Pebble

Septarian nodule / Concretion

sedimentary

Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase)

Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)

mineral