Lemon quartz and citrine are both stunning yellow gems, but they have their unique features. To differentiate lemon quartz vs citrine, we need to dive into what makes each one special.
Both are types of quartz, with certain distinctions. Lemon quartz is known for its bright, lemony shade that’s super eye-catching. On the other hand, citrine boasts a golden, honey-like color that’s just as beautiful.
Both stones sparkle and shine, making any piece of jewelry stand out. Yet, their origins and how they get their colors are quite different, adding to their unique charm.
Lemon Quartz vs Citrine – The Major Differences
Lemon quartz and citrine might look similar at first, but they have some really interesting differences. We’re going to explore what sets these two beautiful yellow gemstones apart.
Appearance – Citrine generally comes in defined crystal shapes.
A characteristic is just a fancy word for something special or unique about something, like how a rock looks or its shape.
For example, raw lemon quartz crystals often have a more blob-like shape, which means they’re not super sharp or clear in their form.
On the other hand, citrine crystals are like the neat and tidy cousins in the quartz family. They usually have a clear, six-sided shape that ends in sharp points, making them look pretty cool and well-defined.
Colors – Lemon quartz has a vibrant yellow color.
Lemon quartz has really bright colors that can catch your eye from across the room. It can be a light yellow that’s almost see-through or a strong, sunny yellow that reminds you of lemonade.
Citrine has a softer look with its yellow shades, kind of like the gentle glow of the morning sun. It ranges from a light, almost pastel yellow to a deeper, cozy amber that can look like honey.
The color in quartz crystals comes from tiny bits of elements mixing in or from heat changing things up inside the stone.
Lemon quartz might get its punchy color from some extra treatments, while citrine’s warm hues come naturally, often from the earth’s heat doing its magic.
Formation – Citrine can form naturally.
Lemon quartz can be found in the earth just like any other rock, but sometimes people heat it up to make its yellow color really pop.
Citrine gets its warm, golden color in a cool natural way, from heat deep in the earth that changes it from amethyst or smoky quartz into citrine.
Both of these stones are pretty special because of how they come to be, whether it’s from natural heat in the earth or a little help from people. It’s like they both have their own recipes for turning into the beautiful gems we see.
If you’re curious about where to go rockhounding to maybe find various types of quartz, there’s a guide that can point you to the best spots in the United States.
Price – Lemon quartz tends to be less expensive.
Lemon quartz is pretty common and sometimes gets a little help from people to make it look extra bright and yellow. This means you can usually find it for a good price.
Citrine is a bit harder to find, especially the kind that hasn’t been treated to change its color. This makes it more special and often means it costs more, which is something to think about if you’re wondering what citrine is worth.
We have a guide that can show you what to look for and help you understand what citrine is worth, so you can make smart choices when picking out a piece.
Location – Citrine is rare and is only found in a limited number of places.
Lemon quartz is pretty cool because you can find it in many places around the world where people dig up quartz. Brazil is one of the biggest spots for finding lemon quartz, but it’s not the only place.
Natural citrine is a bit trickier to find because it’s quite rare. Besides Brazil, you can also find citrine in cool places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Spain, and the Ural Mountains in Russia.
Citrine can also be found in certain locations in the US. If you’re into rocks and want to find crystals near you, it’s neat to know that citrine is more accessible than you might think.
Citrine vs Lemon Quartz – The Similarities
Even though lemon quartz and citrine might look different, they share some cool things in common. We’re going to check out what makes these two yellow stones alike.
Streak – Lemon quartz and citrine have a white streak.
Citrine is a type of quartz that’s known for its yellow to orange colors, and it’s really pretty. Just like citrine, lemon quartz is another kind of quartz, but it’s usually a brighter yellow.
When you rub lemon quartz on a special kind of plate called porcelain, it leaves behind a white mark or streak. Citrine does the same thing, showing a white streak too, which is a cool way to see they’re both quartz.
Luster – The two gems have a glassy luster.
Luster is just a fancy word for how shiny a stone is when light hits it. Both lemon quartz and citrine have what’s called a vitreous luster, which means they’re really shiny, kind of like glass.
When you look at lemon quartz or citrine, you’ll notice they sparkle a lot, making them catch your eye. This shiny, glass-like look is what vitreous luster is all about, and it’s something both these stones share.
Clarity – Each crystal can be transparent to translucent.
Lemon quartz and citrine can both be pretty clear, which means you can see through them like glass. They can have some tiny marks inside called inclusions, but usually, they’re nice and clear.
These inclusions are like little fingerprints inside the stones, making each one unique. But most of the time, both lemon quartz and citrine are clear enough that they look almost perfect.
Crystal Structure – Citrine and lemon quartz belong to the hexagonal system.
Crystal structure is kind of like the blueprint for how a crystal’s atoms are arranged. Lemon quartz and citrine both follow the hexagonal system, which means their atoms are set up in a special six-sided pattern.
This hexagonal setup makes both lemon quartz and citrine look pretty similar in terms of their basic shapes and angles. It’s like they’re built using the same set of instructions.
Cleavage – As quartz varieties, the two gems have a conchoidal fracture.
Cleavage is a term geologists use to describe how a mineral breaks along certain lines. Lemon quartz and citrine don’t really have these lines.
So, instead of breaking in flat, neat pieces, they break in a more rounded, shell-like pattern called conchoidal fracture.
This means that if you were to break a piece of lemon quartz or citrine, you wouldn’t get a flat surface. Instead, you’d get a curved break that looks a bit like the inside of a clamshell.
Hardness – Both are relatively hard.
Hardness is like a score that tells us how tough a rock or mineral is. For lemon quartz and citrine, they both score between 7 and 7.5, which means they’re pretty tough cookies.
This score helps us know that these stones can handle everyday stuff without getting all scratched up. It’s like they have a built-in shield that keeps them looking nice.
Chemical Composition – Both citrine and lemon quartz are made of the same basic elements.
Chemical composition is basically what stuff is made out of, all the way down to the tiny bits called atoms and molecules.
When you compare citrine vs lemon quartz, you’ll find that both are made of something called silicon dioxide, which is a fancy way of saying they’re mostly made of the same stuff.
Lemon quartz gets its sunny color from a few extra bits mixed in, but at its heart, it’s still silicon dioxide, just like citrine. Citrine has a little bit of iron in it, and that’s what gives it those golden to brown colors, but the main part is still silicon dioxide.
Density – Each of the two crystals have the same density.
Density is like how much stuff is packed into a certain space. Lemon quartz and citrine are both pretty similar in this way, having a density around 2.65 grams per cubic centimeter.
This similarity in density is one reason why lemon quartz and citrine feel pretty much the same when you hold them in your hand. They have the same kind of heaviness for their size, which is just right for quartz minerals.
So, even though lemon quartz and citrine might look different with their colors, they’re a lot alike when it comes to how dense they are. It’s like they’re family members who share a lot of the same traits.
Fluorescence – Neither rock will glow under UV light.
Fluorescence is when a rock or mineral glows under a special kind of light called ultraviolet light, which is pretty cool to see.
However, lemon quartz and citrine usually don’t light up this way because they’re both types of quartz. In general, quartz doesn’t fluoresce under UV light.
Magnetism – Citrine isn’t magnetic, and neither is lemon quartz.
Magnetism is when an object gets pulled by a magnet, like how fridge magnets stick to the fridge. Lemon quartz doesn’t stick to magnets because it doesn’t have the right kind of materials inside that get pulled by magnets.
Citrine is the same way; it won’t get pulled by a magnet either because it’s made of stuff that doesn’t react to magnets. This is something lemon quartz and citrine have in common, even though they look different.
Conductivity – The two crystals are unable to conduct electricity.
Conductivity is about how well something can let electricity flow through it, kind of like how water flows through a pipe.
Lemon quartz and citrine are both not so great at letting electricity pass through, which means they’re more like a blocked pipe that stops the water.
This is because both of these stones are types of quartz, and quartz doesn’t really like to let electricity move through it.
The Easiest Ways to Tell Lemon Quartz and Citrine Apart
Figuring out the differences between lemon quartz and citrine can be pretty interesting. We’re going to look at how you can tell these two yellow stones apart.
Color Intensity
Lemon quartz really stands out because it has a super bright yellow color that can sometimes look almost like a neon light. This makes it pop and catch your eye, especially when the light hits it just right.
Citrine, on the other hand, has a more chill vibe with its yellow color that can go all the way to a golden-brown. Its color is pretty even and doesn’t jump out at you like lemon quartz does.
So, if you’re trying to tell the two apart, look at how bright and bold the yellow is. Lemon quartz will usually be the one that’s more in-your-face, while citrine keeps things cool with a softer glow.
Price and Availability
Lemon quartz is pretty easy to find and usually doesn’t cost a lot of money. This is because people can take less expensive quartz and make it look like the bright yellow of lemon quartz.
Citrine is a bit harder to come by, especially if it’s the real deal that hasn’t been treated to change its color. Because it’s not as common, citrine can be more expensive, especially when it looks really clear and has deep colors.
So, when you’re trying to spot the difference between lemon quartz and citrine, one big clue can be how much they cost and how easy they are to find. Lemon quartz is usually more wallet-friendly and easier to find than citrine.
Crystal Habit
Lemon quartz can look a bit like a rough draft when it comes to its shape. It doesn’t always have those sharp ends or clear sides that some other crystals have.
Citrine, though, tends to be more like a math problem with all the right angles. Its shape is more regular, with straight sides and pointy ends that make it look pretty neat and orderly.
So, if you’re trying to figure out which is which, take a close look at their crystal habit or how they’re shaped. Citrine will usually be the one with the cleaner, more defined lines, while lemon quartz is a bit more freeform.
