What Is the Chemical Formula for Citrine?

Formula

• Citrine is a crystal, with the simple formula SiO2; thus, its proper chemical name is "silicon dioxide."

Silica

• SiO2 is also known as "silica." It is supposedly the most abundant mineral in the earth's crust. It is found in sand and quartz, as well as in the cell walls of microscopic life.

Silicon

• Silicon is plentiful in nature and in the same chemical family as carbon. But it is more common in inorganic material (like minerals) than carbon, which is abundant in plants and living creatures.

Color

• The color of citrine does not come from its silicon, oxygen atoms or chemical composition. It comes from contaminants, chiefly oxides of iron. If it were uncontaminated it would be clearer, like quartz.

Red Citrine

• Red citrine does not occur naturally; instead, it is heat-treated amethyst.