Do you love yellow gemstones?
If yellow is your color then you may or may not be acquainted with some of the different choices that there are for buying precious and semi precious gemstones.
Too often, when we shop in jewelry stores, we can only see what is already present in the cases.
But if you become aware of other options, you can always ask your jewelry store to order you gemstones from their many sources.
Depending on your finances, it would be good to know what is out there so that in every station of life you can begin collecting as you financially progress.
Here are some of the most popular yellow gemstones:
- Yellow Diamond
- Yellow Sapphire
- Yellow Topaz
- Yellow Tourmaline
- Yellow Citrine
- Yellow Mexican Fire Opal
- Yellow Zircon
- Yellow Garnet
You may want to take note that these are listed in the order of costliness, although not necessarily in the order of popularity.
While yellow diamonds are the most expensive, their favor comes and goes with each rising fad.
One of the gemstones that always seem to be in high favor is the yellow zircon.
The reason for this is because not only is it affordable, but zircons are usually found in fancy cuts and their brilliance can easily rival that of diamonds.
Table of Contents
What Are Yellow Gemstones?
Diamond and sapphire are the only two gemstones that are classified as being precious gemstones.
All other yellow gemstones are considered as semi precious.
Colored diamonds and sapphires get their popularity from celebrities who wear them in public.
Marketing also plays a huge influence on the desirability as they are showcased in various pieces of jewelry.
If you were to replace the yellow gemstones in a piece of stylized jewelry with any other color gemstone and then started a heavy marketing campaign, it would rise in the same popularity.
Yellow gemstones can occur naturally and with or without treatments, yet there are also lab-created yellow stones too.
Lab created really means seeded and then grown in a lab setting, rather than continuing to grow for thousands of years in the earth.
Nearly all of the yellow gemstones, except for diamond and sapphire, would be better used in necklaces and earrings because they are usually softer stones and are easily abraded or chipped.
Yellow gemstones come in a variety of hues or colors ranging from orangish yellow to brownish yellow.
Yellow gemstones get their colors in nature from the different elements such as iron present in nature.
Vivid yellow stones are usually the diamonds and sapphires, although many of these have been heat treated to deepen their color.
Types of Yellow Gemstones For Jewelry and Their Properties
When we think of yellow gemstones, yellow diamonds usually come to mind.
But there are a variety of yellow gemstones that can be found in nature and used for making jewelry.
Precious stones are classified as diamonds and sapphires.
They are rare, durable and expensive.
Semi-precious stones are less rare, not as durable, and less expensive than precious stones. Let’s take a look at some yellow gemstones that are used for making jewelry:
Precious Yellow Gemstones
As mentioned above, diamonds and sapphires are two of the hardest gemstones on the Mohs hardness scale.
These are safer bets for making rings and bracelets because they can take a good deal of wear and tear and still look great, unlike the semi precious stones.
Because of their hardness, they do not need to be sent out for polishing, although perhaps for recutting due to taking a hard bash and getting a chip.
What would merely chip a diamond or sapphire, would completely break any other semi precious stone.
The other property that diamonds and sapphires have, unfortunately, is that they are more prone to having inclusions than that of the semi precious stones.
This means that while they are still more expensive, they have a wide range of pricing due to their internal appearance.
Yellow sapphires, like yellow diamonds, come in a variety of colors ranging from pale to intense vivid yellow.
The more color, the higher the price unless the color was a result of heat treatment.
When shopping for a yellow diamond or sapphire, always ask for documents that will verify that the stones have not been heat treated unless you do not mind if they were.
Heat treatment will not ruin a stone, but will diminish the price of one.
Semi Precious Yellow Gemstones
Topaz, Tourmaline, Citrine, Mexican Fire Opal, Zircon, Garnet, as well as all others not listed, are considered semi-precious because of the properties they share.
Leaving behind mere color, they are softer gemstones which are prone to scratching, abrasions and chips.
They are prone to damage if put into an ultrasonic cleaner and are prone to chemical reactions and damage due to their porousness.
One of the best properties of semi precious gemstones is the fact that they are not riddled with inclusions.
They are also less likely to be heat treated in any way because there is no need to alter their color due to marketing hype.
- Imperial Topaz is probably the most expensive for a semi precious gemstone because it is a darker yellow that is rarely found.
- Mexican Fire Opals have colors that range from a vivid yellow to a vivid orange and even reds. These are very soft and prone to cracking and crazing, unlike topaz.
- Yellow Tourmaline is difficult to find in a common jewelry store, yet that is because other semi-precious stones seem to be marketed according to birthstone favorability. Not many are interested in tourmaline, but even when they are, people usually are more familiar with the green colors.
If you were to put faceted yellow topaz, yellow sapphire, yellow garnet and yellow tourmaline together in a pile, you would have great difficulty knowing which is which.
Non-Precious Yellow Gemstones For Jewelry
There are more yellow gemstones that are used in jewelry making that are noteworthy.
- Amber.
- Yellow Quartz
- Yellow Sphene
- Golden Southsea Pearl
- Yellow Jade
Each of these, and many others, might spark an interest if you are in the market for yellow jewelry but are having to watch the budget.
Some of these are carved, others are faceted and others are left alone in their natural form.
All of these are soft or otherwise fragile and should not be used for jewelry pieces that would be worn daily unless with great care.
All of these are very affordable, especially if the golden south sea pearls have been dyed to get their color.
Final Thoughts
When researching for yellow gemstones, and if you wish to remain budget friendly, search for the stones that are in the semi precious category.
You will be amazed at the variety, shapes and sizes of stones that you can find for the jewelry you wish to have.
You can even go online and find most of these stones which have been precut and preholed so that you can make your own semi precious jewelry in your own unique style.
If you do wish to buy a precious yellow gemstone such as diamond or sapphire, be certain to see documentation for authenticity and if there are any treatments.
Become familiar with the price range that you should expect to pay for the different carat sizes along with the clarity grades.
Also be prepared to have to ask a jewelry store to order you the yellow stones that you are interested in, because jewelry stores most often keep an inventory of what sells most frequently rather than items that are off the beaten path.