Yellow is a bright and vibrant color. Yellow gemstones are often associated with happiness, warmth, and wealth, making them a popular color choice. So, which yellow gemstones are out there? Which yellow gemstones are suitable for everyday wear? Which one is the most popular? In this article, we will explore yellow gemstones, listing the most popular and common ones, and detail each gemstone’s characteristics, hues, meanings, etc. to help you find the perfect yellow gemstone!
To better understand yellow gemstones, we’ll divide them into two main categories: yellow precious stones and yellow semi precious stones. Ready? Let’s dive in!
Table Of Contents:
Yellow Precious Stones
There are two main types of yellow precious stones:
Yellow Diamond
Yes, the yellow diamond is the first yellow precious stone we’ll introduce! If you were to choose a yellow gemstone for an engagement ring, it would likely be your first choice! Yellow diamonds (Mohs hardness 10) are the hardest yellow gemstones, they symbolize love, happiness, wealth, and power. Additionally, diamonds are the April birthstone.
Are yellow diamonds rare? Not necessarily. In fact, most colorless/white diamonds have a slight yellow tint, but we often subconsciously categorize them as colorless/white diamonds. The color grading scale for colorless diamonds by IGI and GIA (D-Z) is actually based on the proportion of yellow tint within the stone. Diamonds with more yellow tint are graded lower. This doesn’t mean yellow diamonds are less valuable than colorless diamonds—it’s simply that the scale is designed for colorless diamonds. Diamonds with vivid yellow hues are extremely valuable (often more expensive than colorless diamonds) and are known as “Canary Diamonds”.
The yellow in yellow diamonds come from trace amounts of nitrogen within the carbon crystal structure. Vividly colored natural yellow diamonds are rare and difficult to obtain. If you love them, consider lab-grown yellow diamonds, as this technology is well-developed and produces diamonds identical to natural yellow diamonds in all characteristics, and more affordable.
After reading this, you may wonder: Should light yellow tinted diamonds be classified as yellow or colorless?
There’s no definitive answer to this. We classify them as lower-grade colorless diamonds because we typically associate diamonds with colorlessness, and subconsciously, we tend to classify them as colorless diamonds. However, they can also be considered yellow diamonds because they contain a yellow tint.
Yellow Sapphire
Another yellow precious stone is yellow sapphire. Believe it or not, sapphires come in all colors except red! Don’t doubt it, sapphire has every color except red! Its color ranges from pale yellow to rich golden, the higher the iron, the more saturated the yellow. Compared to blue and pink sapphires, yellow sapphires are more affordable but less common, as bright, natural yellow sapphires are rare and often treated with heat or radiation to enhance their color. (Typically, irradiation treatment has lower stability and may fade in the sun exposure, while heat treatment is more stable.)
Yellow sapphires are highly durable (Mohs hardness 9), making them suitable for engagement rings or daily wear jewelry. They are often associated with wisdom and prosperity and are believed to bring success and happiness. Additionally, sapphire is the September birthstone.
Yellow Semi Precious Stones
Since there are many types of yellow semi precious stones, here we’ll list 16 of the more common and popular varieties:
- Citrine
- Yellow Topaz & Imperial Topaz
- Amber
- Yellow Zircon
- Heliodor (Golden Beryl)
- Yellow Tourmaline
- Yellow Moissanite
- Yellow Sunstone
- Yellow Pearl
- Yellow Fluorite
- Yellow Fire Opal
- Peridot
- Yellow Garnet
- Chrysoberyl
- Yellow Rutile
Citrine
Citrine is currently the most popular yellow gemstone. It is said to attract wealth, prosperity, and energy, earning it the nickname “Stone of Success”. It has good durability (Mohs hardness 7), making it suitable for everyday wear. In addition, citrine is also the November modern birthstone.
Citrine belongs to the quartz family, with colors ranging from yellow to deep amber, determined by its iron content. In the quartz family, natural citrine is relatively rare; most citrines on the market are created by heating or irradiating amethyst or smoky quartz. However, citrine is more abundant than other yellow gemstones, making it a more affordable choice.
Yellow Topaz & Imperial Topaz
Topaz is the November traditional birthstone, it comes in a variety of colors with high durability (Mohs hardness 8), making topaz rings suitable for engagement rings. There are two types of topaz with a yellow hue: yellow topaz & imperial topaz.
Yellow topaz is a semi precious gemstone with high transparency and a color range from pale yellow to deep yellow. It is abundant and affordable, sometimes confused with citrine, and hard to distinguish by the naked eye. Yellow topaz is associated with sunlight and energy and is considered a symbol of wealth and courage.
Imperial topaz is the most valuable type of topaz, with colors including pink, orange, and yellow. This variety is rare and thus highly valuable. Unlike yellow topaz, imperial topaz often has a richer yellow color, sometimes with pink or red sub-tones, giving it a vibrant look. The imperial topaz is a symbol of royalty, representing nobility and authority.
Amber
Unlike most inorganic gemstones formed deep in the earth’s crust, amber is an organic gemstone. It is fossilized resin from conifer trees, formed over tens of millions of years and often contains inclusions like insects or plant matter. Compared to other yellow gemstones, amber has a lower hardness (Mohs hardness 2.5-3). It is often a golden or dense yellow, sometimes with green, blue, or even red hues. Yellow is the most common and popular color for amber. Amber is known for its calming and healing properties and is said to absorb negative energy, bringing warmth and clarity to the wearer.
Yellow Zircon
When most people think of zircon, they think of blue or white, but it can come in almost any color. Zircon is the December birthstone with good durability (6.5-7.5) and brilliant sparkle, white zircon is one of the popular diamond alternatives.
Yellow zircon can range in color from light to deep yellow, with some having sub-tones of orange or brown. Bright yellow zircon is often the result of heat treatment, as natural yellow zircon typically has a paler color. This affordable gemstone has many fans and is believed to bring success and wealth.
Heliodor (Golden Beryl)
Heliodor, also known as Golden Beryl, is a yellow variant of the Beryl family. Its color ranges from pale yellow to rich golden hues, determined by the iron content in the crystal. This yellow semi precious stone has high durability (Mohs hardness 7.5-8), and high transparency. Its bright, sunny color is said to bring light to challenging situations.
Some jewelers may market it as “yellow emerald”, but gemologically, this name is incorrect. Emeralds must meet certain green hues, tones and saturations and are always predominantly green, not yellow.
Yellow Tourmaline
As an October birthstone, tourmaline jewelry is very popular. Tourmaline is known for its array of colors, it has decent durability (Mohs hardness 7-7.5). Yellow tourmaline is especially rare compared to its pink and green counterparts. Its color ranges from pale to vivid yellow, influenced by manganese and iron. Yellow tourmaline is believed to enhance creativity and personal strength, bringing joy, clarity, and positivity to the wearer. Check out our tourmaline guide to learn more about tourmaline.
Yellow Moissanite
Although most moissanite on the market is lab-grown, we need to know that natural moissanite also has yellow colors. natural moissanite color is usually a very pale yellow. Like diamonds, this pale yellow color may be overlooked and classified as colorless moissanite. The lab-grown yellow moissanite can be any hue of yellow you can think of, from light yellow to deep yellow! Yellow moissanite is seen as a symbol of prosperity, success, luck, confidence, and happiness.
Moissanite is a popular diamond alternative due to its diamond-like appearance, high durability (Mohs hardness 9.25, second only to diamonds), and affordability. Its higher refractive index and dispersion than diamond give it greater brilliance and fire. Some call it a “moissanite diamond” (although this term is not gemologically valid).
Yellow Sunstone
Sunstone is typically orange or red but also occurs in yellow. Yellow sunstone ranges from pale yellow to golden yellow, with a warm, bright hue. Mostly sourced from Oregon (U.S.), India, and Norway, it contains tiny mineral inclusions that create an aventurescence under the light. It has moderate hardness (Mohs 6-6.5) and is associated with warmth, vitality, good fortune, courage, and protection. Explore Sunstone jewelry.
Yellow Pearl
Also an organic gemstone, the yellow pearl is one of the June birthstones and is relatively soft (Mohs hardness 2.5-4.5). Yellow Pearl is a unique variety of pearl that ranges in color from light yellow to golden yellow, with golden yellow being the most prized. The most famous yellow pearls are the South Sea golden pearls from the South Seas, mainly from the Philippines and Indonesia. Yellow pearls are considered a symbol of wealth and bring inner warmth and peace.
Yellow Fluorite
Fluorite is a relatively soft semi precious stone (Mohs hardness 4) that appears in many colors. Yellow Fluorite has a soft yellow hue that ranges from pale to deep yellow and has a high degree of transparency. This yellow semi-precious stone is believed to improve intelligence, concentration and confidence.
Yellow Fire Opal
Yellow Fire Opal? You may not have heard of it, but it is actually a type of fire opal. (View opal types guide to learn more.) The “fire” in fire opal is the base color of the stone, which comes in a variety of colors, and when there is a high percentage of yellow, it is known as yellow fire opal.
Yellow Fire Opal is a unique yellow semiprecious stone that is not a pure, monochromatic yellow. Its color ranges from pale yellow to golden yellow with orange and red flashes, making it an extremely vivid color. Yellow Fire Opal symbolizes passion and energy and is often thought to inspire creativity and enthusiasm. Although opals are relatively soft (5-6.5 on the Mohs scale), their fantastic iridescent effect makes opal engagement rings and opal necklaces with large opals the jewelry of choice for many people! Opal is also one of the October birthstones.
Peridot
Peridot is generally green, though some varieties have a more yellowish hue. With moderate durability (Mohs hardness 6.5-7) and good transparency, it shines particularly brightly in sunlight. Its color ranges from yellow to bright emerald green, the higher the iron content, the deeper the green hue, the most popular for the olive green. Known to symbolize health and prosperity, peridot is thought to clear negative energy and bring happiness. It is the birthstone for August.
Yellow Garnet
Do you know the color of the January birthstone, garnet? Garnets are known to be red, while yellow is less well-known. (e.g., mali garnet and spessartine are yellow) With good durability (Mohs hardness 6.5-7.5) and a dispersion higher than diamonds, yellow garnets radiate more fire. Yellow garnets range in color from yellow to orange-yellow, sometimes with a green sub-tone. However, yellow garnets are rare and therefore difficult to obtain. Yellow garnets symbolize friendship and love and are believed to bring happiness and passion.
Chrysoberyl
A beautiful yellow semi precious stone, chrysoberyl is highly durable (Mohs hardness 8.5) and often used in fine jewelry. Its color ranges from pale yellow to yellow-green, with golden yellow as the most prized hue. When cut as a cabochon, it can display a “cat’s eye effect”. Chrysoberyl symbolizes protection, luck, and wisdom, believed to provide positive energy and fortune.
Yellow Rutile
Yellow Rutile is a distinctive, slender, pale yellow, golden-yellow or brassy needle-like crystal, often found as inclusions in other gemstones, with a high hardness (6-6.5 on the Mohs scale). It shimmers in the light and can enhance the beauty of the stone. In quartz, it forms “yellow rutilated quartz”, with golden threads creating a beautiful shimmer. In sapphire or ruby, it can create a star-like pattern (such as hexagrams).
Rutile is also available in many other colors, such as red and black. The common Black Rutilated Quartz is the black Rutile found in crystals. In energetics, crystals with Rutilated Quartz inclusions are often seen as gemstones that enhance personal power and creativity and are also believed to clear negative energy and enhance overall aura.
Final Thoughts
This guide has introduced 18 yellow gemstones, including 2 precious and 16 semi precious stones, to help you find the ideal yellow gem. MollyJewelryUS is a professional gemstone jeweler, and we have a wide range of gemstone jewelry for sale, including beautiful yellow gemstones. Here, you can find gemstone rings, gemstone necklaces, gemstone earrings, and more, and even contact us for custom jewelry! All gems come with professional certificates, ensuring authenticity!
FAQs
Yellow gemstones typically symbolize wisdom, wealth, happiness, and warmth.
Yes! Yellow gemstones symbolize wealth, happiness, and warmth, matching the essence of marriage.
Yellow gemstones with a Mohs hardness above 7, such as yellow diamond, yellow sapphire, citrine, yellow topaz, and yellow tourmaline, are ideal.
In feng shui, yellow is linked to wealth and energy, and yellow gemstones are thought to attract good luck, wealth, and happiness.
Citrine and yellow topaz are among the most common.
Citrine is currently the most popular yellow gemstone, along with yellow diamond.
January (yellow garnet), April (yellow diamond), June (yellow pearl), August (peridot), September (yellow sapphire), October (yellow tourmaline and fire opal), November (yellow topaz and citrine), December (yellow zircon).