Among the wide variety of single fluorescent defects investigated in silicon, numerous studies have focused on color centers with a zero-phonon line around $1.28\mu \mathrm{m}$ and identified to a common carbon complex in silicon, namely the $G$ center. However, inconsistent estimates regarding their quantum efficiency cast doubt on the correct identification of these individual emitters. Through a comparative analysis of their single-photon emission properties, we demonstrate that these single color centers are split in two distinct families of point defects. A first family consists of the genuine single $G$ centers with a well-identified microscopic structure and whose photoluminescence has been investigated on ensemble measurements since the 1960s. The remaining defects belong to another color center, which we will refer to as the $G^{★}$ center, whose atomic configuration has yet to be determined. These results provide a safeguard against future defect misidentifications, which is crucial for further development of quantum technologies relying on $G$ or $G^{★}$ center quantum properties.

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• Color centers
• Doping effects
• Point defects
• Single photon sources
• Carbon-based materials
• Elemental semiconductors
• Photoluminescence