Amber-colored quartz, typically known as citrine, is highly prized for its warm, golden hue. While much of the material on the market is heat-treated amethyst, natural amber-tinted quartz can be distinguished by its distinct trigonal crystal habit and lack of cleavage.
Is this amber quartz?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch amber quartz with a known reference. Amber Quartz sits at Mohs 7, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Amber Quartz leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Amber Quartz typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: yellow, orange, brownish-yellow, golden.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: prismatic crystals.
Often confused with
Amber Quartz vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside amber quartz
Minerals reported to co-occur with amber quartz. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- SiO₂
- Mohs hardness
- 7
- Density
- 2.65 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic Crystals
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Gemstone, Lapidary, Collector, Jewelry
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Veins, Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $5-50 thumbnail, $50-500 cabinet
Where rockhounds find amber quartz
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Brazil
- Madagascar
- USA
- Russia
- Spain
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal veins, pegmatites country, the host setting where amber quartz typically forms. If you start seeing amethyst, smoky quartz, microcline in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a prismatic crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in North Carolina. Start trip planning there.
More amber quartz photos
Common questions
How do you identify amber quartz?+
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Find amber quartz on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
