RocksdayCitrine vs Smoky Quartz
How to tell them apart
Yellow to orange quartz. Natural citrine is pale and fairly rare; most citrine sold today is heat-treated amethyst.
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0
Brown to nearly black quartz colored by natural radiation acting on traces of aluminum.
Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0
Key differences
- Smoky quartz is brown-gray rather than yellow.
- Citrine is yellow to orange, not brown-gray.
Side by side
| Property | Citrine | Smoky Quartz |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 7 | 7 |
| Luster | Vitreous | Vitreous |
| Streak | White | White |
| Colors | Yellow, Orange | Brown, Gray, Black |
| Crystal system | Trigonal | Trigonal |
| Specific gravity | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Formula | SiO₂ | SiO₂ |
| Found in | Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Madagascar | Swiss Alps; Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify citrine
- Pale lemon to honey-orange quartz, hardness 7.
- Heat-treated amethyst geodes turn burnt orange at the tips with white bases — a giveaway.
- Natural pieces have an even, soft yellow color.
Crystal system: Trigonal
Full Citrine guide →How to identify smoky quartz
- Transparent to translucent brown or gray quartz.
- Six-sided prisms with pointed ends.
- Hardness 7 and no cleavage.
Crystal system: Trigonal
Full Smoky Quartz guide →More comparisons
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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