Yellow Sapphire (Pukhraj) and Citrine (Sunehla) are both golden-yellow — and are often confused or even sold in place of one another. They are, however, completely different stones.

Why They Are Confused

Both share a warm yellow colour, so at a glance a Citrine can look like a Pukhraj. Because Yellow Sapphire is far more valuable, Citrine is sometimes offered as a cheaper "substitute" — which is fine if you know what you are buying.

Yellow Sapphire vs Citrine: Differences

  • Mineral: Yellow Sapphire is corundum (hardness 9); Citrine is quartz (hardness 7).
  • Value: Yellow Sapphire (Pukhraj) is a precious stone and much more valuable than Citrine, a semi-precious quartz.
  • Astrology: Pukhraj is the true stone of Jupiter; Citrine is used by some as an affordable Jupiter substitute but is not the same.

How to Tell Them Apart

A jeweller can check hardness and refractive index, but the reliable way is a lab report — which we support on every stone. If you specifically want the astrological benefits of Jupiter, buy a certified Yellow Sapphire, not Citrine.