How can I tell what stone my bracelet is made of?

You can narrow down what stone your bracelet is made of by comparing measured properties such as specific gravity, refractive index and inclusions with published reference figures, not by trusting color. International Gem Society figures give moonstone a specific gravity of 2.56–2.59 and clear quartz and citrine 2.651, so a reading of 2.651 with a refractive index of 1.544–1.553 matches the published figures for clear quartz and citrine but does not separate the two.

Last updated: October 3, 2026

By Mara Ellison · Founding Editor, Dusk & Relic Journal

Which check narrows down the stone in a bracelet?

The check that narrows down the stone in a stone bead bracelet is a measured property compared against a reference figure. The table below uses International Gem Society (IGS) data for clear quartz, citrine and moonstone. "No figure in these sources" means the sources used here give no figure, not that the property is absent.

Check	Clear quartz bracelet	Citrine bracelet	Moonstone bracelet	What the check tells you
Mohs hardness	7	7	No figure in these sources	Relative scratch resistance only
Specific gravity	2.651 (very constant)	2.651	2.56–2.59	Moonstone and quartz figures differ
Refractive index	1.544–1.553	1.544–1.553	No figure in these sources	Matches quartz figures; clear quartz and citrine overlap
Natural inclusions	Color zoning, two- and three-phase inclusions, negative crystals	No list in these sources	No list in these sources	Matches the IGS list for natural clear quartz
Cleavage	No figure in these sources	No figure in these sources	Perfect and easy in two directions	Part of the moonstone profile
Heat response	No note in these sources	Heat-treated citrine may fade when exposed to heat	No note in these sources	Points to treatment questions

The rule for any stone bead bracelet: appearance narrows the list, and measured properties are compared with reference figures.

The table has no column for glass or plastic. The sources here list those materials as gemstone substitutes but give no reference figures for them. A glass bead bracelet therefore cannot be scored against this table from this data alone.

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Why can't color alone tell you what stone a bracelet is made of?

Color cannot identify a stone bead bracelet because look-alike materials exist. The USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 lists glass, plastics and other materials as substitutes for natural gemstones. The same report notes that simulants are frequently substituted for natural gemstones.

The USGS report gives no bracelet-specific share. Nobody can use that report to estimate how often a given stone bead bracelet turns out to be glass.

The measured figures also overlap inside the quartz family. In IGS data, a clear quartz bracelet and a citrine bracelet have the same hardness, specific gravity and refractive index, so those figures alone do not separate a clear quartz bracelet from a citrine bracelet.

Bead-to-bead color variation raises the same problem with other stones. The IGS figures in this article do not cover amazonite. Checking whether an amazonite bracelet that looks off is still genuine needs amazonite-specific reference data.

How do density and refractive index narrow down a stone bead bracelet?

Specific gravity is the number that distinguishes the moonstone figures from the quartz figures for a stone bead bracelet. IGS lists moonstone specific gravity at 2.56–2.59. IGS lists clear quartz at 2.651 and describes that value as very constant.

A stone reading in the moonstone range does not match the quartz value. A stone reading at 2.651 matches the IGS figures for clear quartz and citrine.

Refractive index is a second check on a quartz bracelet. IGS gives clear quartz a refractive index of 1.544–1.553, and gives citrine the same range. The moonstone source used here gives no refractive index. This article cannot compare a moonstone bracelet with a quartz bracelet on that test.

A visual check of a stone bead bracelet is not the same as a measured reading. The gap between a visual check and an instrument reading is the same one discussed in comparing a home check with a lab test for snowflake obsidian.

What do inclusions and cleavage reveal about a stone bead bracelet?

Inclusions are a check against the IGS description of natural clear quartz in a stone bead bracelet. IGS lists the natural inclusions in clear quartz as color zoning, two- and three-phase inclusions, and negative crystals. Finding those features in a clear quartz bracelet is consistent with that IGS list.

The sources here give no inclusion data for glass. An eye-clean clear quartz bracelet is not proven fake by the absence of inclusions alone.

Cleavage is part of the moonstone profile. IGS describes moonstone cleavage as perfect and easy in two directions. The quartz entries used here list no cleavage figure, so this article draws no cleavage comparison between a moonstone bracelet and a quartz bracelet.

A mixed-stone bracelet has to be checked one material at a time. Frost & Fortune (green phantom quartz and clear quartz, 10mm, $105) lists clear quartz as one of its two stones. The clear quartz figures above apply to the clear quartz in the Frost & Fortune bracelet. The green phantom quartz in the Frost & Fortune bracelet needs its own reference entry, which these sources do not provide.

What does heat exposure tell you about a citrine bracelet?

Heat exposure raises a treatment question for a citrine bracelet, not a proof. IGS notes that heat-treated citrine may fade when exposed to heat.

If a citrine bracelet changes color after heat exposure, that change is consistent with the IGS caution. The fading alone does not prove treatment. The IGS note describes what heat-treated citrine may do. The note does not say that every citrine that fades has been treated.

The IGS figures in this article do not cover carnelian. Checking whether carnelian and citrine beads are real or fake needs carnelian-specific reference data alongside the citrine bracelet figures above.

The treatment data in this article stops at citrine. Lilac Hour (light amethyst faceted nuggets, 13mm, $115) names light amethyst as its stone. The IGS sources used here give no amethyst treatment note, so this article makes no treatment statement about the Lilac Hour amethyst bracelet.

What should a listing tell you about each stone in a bracelet?

A listing should name every material in a stone bead bracelet, because each material is identified separately. A single stone name on a mixed-material bracelet leaves the other materials unchecked.

Tide Chime (aquamarine and freshwater pearl, 6-10mm, $75) lists aquamarine and natural freshwater pearl. The 6-10mm figure is the listed bead-size range for the Tide Chime bracelet. The aquamarine and the pearl in the Tide Chime bracelet need separate references.

Violet Mist (purple phantom quartz, 10mm, $90) lists its stone as Purple Phantom Quartz (Super Seven). The sources used here give no reference figures for purple phantom quartz, so the Violet Mist bracelet cannot be scored against the table above from this data alone.

FAQ

Can specific gravity tell a clear quartz bracelet from a citrine bracelet?

No. International Gem Society data gives both clear quartz and citrine a specific gravity of 2.651, so a matching density reading cannot separate a clear quartz bracelet from a citrine bracelet.

Does a moonstone bracelet have a lower density than a quartz bracelet?

Yes, by the published figures. International Gem Society lists moonstone specific gravity at 2.56–2.59 and clear quartz at 2.651. Because those figures differ, a reading in the moonstone range does not match the quartz value.

Does a Mohs hardness of 7 mean a quartz bracelet cannot chip or break?

No. Clear quartz and citrine both rate 7 on the Mohs scale, but hardness only describes relative scratch resistance. Mohs hardness says nothing about how a quartz bracelet handles drops or knocks.

Why would a citrine bracelet lose color?

International Gem Society notes that heat-treated citrine may fade when exposed to heat. A citrine bracelet that fades after heat exposure is consistent with that note, but fading on its own does not prove the citrine was treated.

How often are crystal bracelets made of glass?

The USGS data used here gives no bracelet-specific figure. The USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries lists glass and plastics as gemstone substitutes and says simulants are frequently substituted for natural gemstones, but the report gives no share for bracelets.

Does a mixed-material bracelet need each stone checked separately?

Yes. Reference figures for one stone do not transfer to another. Clear quartz figures apply only to the clear quartz in a mixed bracelet. A pearl or a different quartz variety on the same bracelet each needs its own reference.