Identification guide · Quartz Family
How to Identify Citrine
Citrine is usually yellow, orange, and golden brown with a vitreous luster and is transparent. It has a Mohs hardness of 7. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file. Its streak is white. It is most often confused with Smoky Quartz, Amethyst, and Clear Quartz; the tests below separate them.
Citrine identification checklist
| Color | Yellow, Orange, Golden Brown | Look at a clean, dry surface in daylight. Color zoning, banding or spots are as diagnostic as the hue. |
|---|---|---|
| Luster | Vitreous | Fresh surfaces shine like glass; a dull surface usually means weathering, so chip or wet a corner. |
| Transparency | Transparent | Hold a thin edge up to a bright light and note whether light passes through. |
| Mohs hardness | 7 | It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file. |
| Streak | White | Drag a corner across unglazed porcelain (the back of a bathroom tile) and check the powder color. |
| Cleavage | None | |
| Fracture | Conchoidal | Broken surfaces show smooth, curved, shell-like scoops. |
| Specific gravity | 2.65 | Ordinary rock-like heft (specific gravity about 2.65), similar to quartz. |
| Crystal system | Hexagonal |
Extra tests for Citrine
Glass check. Citrine shares a glassy luster and conchoidal fracture with man-made glass. Glass sits near Mohs 5.5 and often contains round gas bubbles, so a hardness test and a hand lens separate them.
Citrine look-alikes and how to tell them apart
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Citrine vs Smoky Quartz →
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Citrine vs Amethyst →
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Citrine vs Clear Quartz →
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead.
Is my Citrine real?
- Hardness: real Citrine sits at Mohs 7. Glass imitations are about 5.5, so genuine Citrine scratches glass while a glass fake cannot.
- Bubbles: round gas bubbles under a 10x loupe mean glass or resin, never a natural stone.
- Color: dyed material concentrates color in cracks and pores; look for pigment collecting at the edges of fractures.
- Temperature: natural crystals feel cool and take longer to warm in your hand than plastic or resin.
Field tips
- Check whether the specimen's color and texture match typical Citrine examples.
- Use hardness, streak, luster, grain size, and locality together; no single trait is enough for every specimen.
Citrine identification FAQ
How can you tell if a rock is Citrine?
Check the color (yellow, orange, and golden brown), the vitreous luster, a Mohs hardness of 7 and a white streak. Photographing it with the StoneSnap app gives a match in seconds.
What is the hardness of Citrine?
Citrine has a Mohs hardness of 7. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file.
What is the difference between Citrine and Smoky Quartz?
Citrine (Mohs 7, vitreous luster) and Smoky Quartz (Mohs 7, vitreous luster) look alike, but hardness, streak and heft usually separate them. See the full Citrine vs Smoky Quartz comparison for a side-by-side table.
How do I know if my Citrine is real?
Real Citrine matches the hardness listed above, shows no round gas bubbles under magnification, and does not concentrate dye in cracks. Glass and resin fakes fail at least one of those checks.
Is Citrine worth anything?
Entry-level Citrine specimens sell for around $10, typical collector pieces about $50, and premium examples $300 or more depending on size, quality and locality.
What color is Citrine?
Citrine is most often yellow, orange, and golden brown. Color varies with impurities and locality, so confirm with hardness and luster rather than color alone.
