sedimentary
Yellow Quartz (Citrine/Yellow Jasper Pebble)
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Pale yellow to honey-orange; Luster: Vitreous to waxy (when water-worn); Crystal structure: Hexagonal/Trigonal; Cleavage: None; Specific gravity: 2.65.
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Pale yellow to honey-orange
- Luster
- Vitreous to waxy (when water-worn)
Identified More sedimentary →
Explore Yellow Quartz (Citrine/Yellow Jasper Pebble) in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Pale yellow to honey-orange; Luster: Vitreous to waxy (when water-worn); Crystal structure: Hexagonal/Trigonal; Cleavage: None; Specific gravity: 2.65.
Formation & geological history
Formed from silica-rich fluids in hydrothermal veins or as crystals in igneous rocks, subsequently eroded and rounded by water transport in rivers or beaches. Yellow coloration often comes from trace amounts of iron.
Uses & applications
Used in lapidary work for cabochons, metaphysical crystals, jewelry, and as decorative garden or aquarium stones.
Geological facts
Natural yellow quartz is often confused with heat-treated amethyst. When found as a river pebble, it is often called a 'lemon stone' or 'river gold'.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its hardness (will scratch glass) and lack of cleavage. Common in alluvial deposits, riverbeds, and coastal regions globally.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Fossil-bearing concretion, possibly containing a fossil shell or other organic inclusion
Calcareous concretion; exact fossil and host-rock composition are not identifiable from the image
fossil
Fossiliferous Sedimentary Rock
Sedimentary limestone with invertebrate fossil imprint
fossil
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite
sedimentary
Shale
Shale (clastic sedimentary rock)
sedimentary
Shale (or Mudstone/Siltstone)
Sedimentary Mudrock (SiO2, Al2O3 base with clay minerals)
sedimentary