Best Yellow Gemstones Used in Jewellery

Many find the tone of yellow very serene and calming from the choice of apparels to jewellery. As per colour psychology, the shades of yellow gemstones symbolize many positive concepts, like freshness, happiness, energy, loyalty and enlightenment. According to some cultural beliefs, yellow also signifies good luck, fortune as well as good health. For the fashion jewellery world, yellow ornaments can be paired up with almost every other colour. And as per the colour spectrum, yellow is the most attention-grabbing colour (hence often used for road signs, etc.)

Yellow gemstones are experiencing a recent surge in popularity as more people are shifting their interest towards coloured gemstone jewellery like never before. There exist many different types of yellow gems in the gemstone world, and each of their colour and traits are magnificently attractive. Here are our top picks of some common yellow gemstones used in jewellery along with some interesting facts about each of them. Read on.

Diamonds are commonly known as the best in gems for their brilliance and fire, and these are true for the yellow varieties as well. Yellow diamonds get their shade from the presence of nitrogen traces during their formation. The most common and affordable of all coloured diamonds, yellow diamonds are considered to be perfect for wedding rings, due to their excellent durability. The best shade out of all yellow diamonds is the Fancy Vivid. 

Most of these stones show tints of a secondary colour, which often affect the value of the gem. If these secondary tints are greenish, then the value of the stone get higher, while brownish tones can make the price of these gems to become lower. Although diamonds tend to be somewhat brittle, they are tough (with a hardness on Mohs scale being 10), scratch-resistant and effortless to maintain. Yellow diamonds are the most expensive and prestigious of all the yellow gemstones and are the ideal choice for someone looking for durability and status as priorities.

Sapphires probably make us think of beautiful blue stones, but not many know that sapphires exist in varieties of stunning yellow hues as well. The beauty of any shade of sapphire lies in its colour, rather than its brilliance. Sapphires come in a variety of yellow tones, from light yellow to intense ones. The yellow colour is a result of iron impurities in the gemstone. Higher the amount of iron traces in the crystal, the more vivid is the colour, and higher is the value of the stone. Sapphires with greenish tints caused by titanium are not that valuable hence should be avoided.

Yellow sapphires are second to diamonds in hardness, with a hardness ranking of 9 on Mohs scale. However, they are quite tougher than diamonds because of their composition and do not break or chip very quickly when used daily. Yellow sapphire gems are much more affordable than diamonds but are similar in the beauty of their colour. Proper maintenance can make these stones last longer, and regular cleaning will enable it to reflect light and sparkle elegantly.

Citrine is one of the most popularly known yellow gemstones. Named after the French word citron which means lemon, the citrine gem is favoured for its beautiful yellow-brown hue. Citrine is a form of quartz; hence it is abundant and inexpensive. The gemstone is generally high in clarity and rarely comes with any visible impurities. Citrine is highly transparent and comes with a vitreous lustre.

Citrine is often faceted to enhance its brilliance. Citrine is relatively tough with a hardness level of 7 on the Mohs scale and can be worn on daily jewellery with reasonable care. In case of any damage, replacing a citrine is not too expensive as the stone is very affordable. Due to its colour, citrine has become popular among crystal healers and is believed to symbolize positivity, happiness and contentment.

The word topaz that originated from the Sanskrit word tapas means fire, possibly due to its sparkling golden hues. Yellow topaz gems have a wide array of colours ranging from orange to dark as well as bright yellow. These gemstones are quite common and affordable. However, the Imperial Topaz variety of the stone, known for its dark orangy-yellow colour, is scarce and expensive.

Yellow topaz is highly durable and ranks at a hardness level of 8 on the Mohs scale. The gem also has excellent clarity and does not come with any visible inclusions. With its transparent vitreous sheen, yellow topaz is a brilliant stone when faceted.

Popularly called the Rainbow Gemstone, tourmaline can be found in every shade imaginable. Of all the varieties, yellow tourmaline is one of the rarest. The yellow hue in the stone is due to the presence of manganese and iron traces during crystal formation. It’s rare to come across yellow tourmalines at any brick and mortar stores because not many jewellers keep them in stock.

Yellow tourmaline is a gemstone that has vivid colour and excellent brilliance. The gem comes with a hardness ranking between 7 - 7.5 on the Mohs scale and can last decades with regular maintenance. Most yellow tourmaline may contain visible inclusions, but due to their rarity, it barely lowers their value. These gems are often faceted to bring out the brilliance of the stone.