Top 12 yellow gemstones. Colors have many associations, and most of the qualities symbolized by yellow are very positive and desirable: honor, intellect, progress, happiness, joy, energy.
As is the case with many primary colors, there are just dozens of yellow gemstones out there, many suitable for rings and for all kinds of jewelry.
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Many yellow stones have yellow as their only hue—a pure yellow. These are the most valuable. Other stones will have secondary hues of brown or orange.
Even yellow stones with relatively low tones can appear very bright and saturated, meaning more energy, more positivity!
A great way to improve your mood, particularly on a dreary day, is with a bright and happy accessory. So, let’s look at one dozen great yellow gemstones for jewelry.
Don't like yellow? check out our pink gemstones or discover our black gemstones selection!
1. Citrine
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Citrine is all about autumn, with its range of orange, yellow, and brownish hues. It’s a variety of Quartz and is one of the top-selling yellow gemstones.
While Brazil is the leading producer of Citrine today, it was introduced in Greece around 350 BC. If you can find a natural Citrine you have something very rare. Quite a few Citrines you find may be heat-treated Amethyst. In fact, it’s also possible to turn colorless Quartz a bright yellow.
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Citrine have a vitreous lustre, a hexagonal crystal system, and a hardness score of 7. Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford each wore stunning pieces made with Citrine.
Healthwise, this yellow gemstone is meant to be great for the circulatory system. One can make an elixir by soaking the stone in water—this elixir releases toxins.
2. Yellow Sapphire
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How could such a renowned and admired gemstone not come in yellow? It’s unthinkable. The yellow in yellow-hued Sapphire comes from the presence of iron in the stone (technically, a gemologist would call this an impurity, but the more of it, the deeper the yellow).
This gem is built so solidly that it is tougher than diamonds. It has a Mohs score of 9. Yellow Sapphire is most commonly found in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Madagascar.
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There is some variety in the quality of cut and/or faceting of Yellow Sapphires. This is important because the quality of the faceting is what allow light to shine in correctly, resulting in brilliance of color.
This bright gemstone represents divine power and energy. It will give you great spiritual wisdom.
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Yellow Sapphires go well with a variety of metals, including white gold or platinum. Lately, they’ve been extremely popular for engagement rings. They definitely provide a great alternative to diamonds!
3. Garnet
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This is the fire gem, so called because it disperses light even more than the famous diamond. A lot of people think of red hues when thinking of Garnets. But right down the color spectrum not too far is yellow.
Topazolite and Hassolite are the varieties of Garnet that have great yellow tones. Mali Garnets come in a range of colors, many of them near yellow on the spectrum, while also coming in straight-up yellow.
To take the more common type of Garnet, Mali, as our focus, it has a hardness of 7, vitreous to resinous lustre, isometric crystals. It’s the birthstone for January. Mali Garnets are cut into shapes such as oval, briolettes, hearts, and rounds. These Garnets are almost never treated.
In terms of stories and legends about Garnet, they are pretty serious. For example, Noah from the Bible was said to have used a Garnet stone as a lantern to guide his famous Ark. The Greeks used Garnet to ward off poisons and to keep children from drowning.
4. Yellow Fire Opal
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Fire opal ranges from orange to yellow. It’s a somewhat rare variety of opal that generally comes Mexico. Unlike other varieties of Opal, Yellow Fire Opal is clear enough to be perfect for faceting. And the good news is that the yellow hues are the most affordable of all opals.
Yellow Fire Opal is a unique and bright gem for rings and for pendants. Because its Mohs score is usually 5.5, the bright stone isn’t tough enough for use in rings.
Spiritually, this stone brings emotional stability. It helps bring out creativity as well.
5. Yellow Zircon
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If you get the right cut of this yellow gemstone, it looks like a gazing ball or something you could use to cast some wonderful spells. It is crisp and bright, giving off a feel of immense magical power.
Zircon is a very popular gemstone. If you’re thinking of the disrespected fake diamonds, those are Zirconia, which have nothing to do with Zircon at all.
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Back to the story: Yellow Zircon can range from a bright canary color to a much darker hue. Once faceted and placed into a great piece of jewelry, all that sparkle in a tiny package will catch almost every eye in the room.
Zircon is a bit of a contradiction when it comes to durability. Its hardness score isn’t bad, ranging from 6 up to 7.5; but it’s brittle, and not so hard to damage.
Since the Middle Ages, this prestigious stone has been thought to bring wisdom and success. It helps the wearer achieve her or his goals.
6. Yellow Gemstones for Loving Relationship: Yellow Diamonds
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This stone often gets confused with Zircon, so this is a fitting place on our list for it. Of all the colored diamonds, yellow ones are the most accessible, moneywise. Yellow diamonds get their sunny color from nitrogen present when they’re forming.
Now, among this variety of diamond, the most valuable are the ones with the most vibrant yellow color. Many of these are of the Canary variety of Yellow Diamond.
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The other main type of yellow diamond is Cape, which come from the Cape Province in South Africa. These have a pale yellow color, making them closer to a colorless diamond.
The symbolism of Yellow Diamonds is a journey into a life of happiness, including a happy and fulfilling loving relationship.
7. Golden South Sea Pearls
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It’s easy to be in awe of these rare, expensive, beautiful, and very large gemstones. South Sea Pearls are among the largest pearls on Earth.
They are cultured by way of exotic white-lipped oysters in the Pacific. Only waters outside of nations like Thailand, Japan, Myanmar, and Japan produce these spectacular gems.
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The (considerable) value of these pearls depends on how few blemishes they have. Smoothness and cleanliness are also important. The pearls are often found round or near-round, but can also be oblong. There’s nothing wrong with irregular and funky shapes of South Sea Pearls when put to use in earrings or pendants.
8. Yellow Amber
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Amber is the one of very few organic gemstones. Namely, Amber is fossilized tree resin. It was therefore easy to come by and to shape in primitive times, so its use in jewelry dates back more than 12,000 years.
Amber is fascinating, not just because it is one of the materials that traps specimens of all kind and leads to their fossilization. It is beguiling due to its honey-like shimmer and rich translucence. The color often called amber is indeed honey-toned, and Amber can be brown, brown-orange, or in rarer cases, yellow.
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As you’d just about guess, Amber isn’t high on the Mohs score—actually around 2—and it does require a lot of care.
It’s more than worth it though, since Amber is all about delivering great energy to the wearer. It is also thought to chase away misfortune. Amber can give a jewelry enthusiast a change of pace. It is literally Earthy and can be just the thing for a particular mood that no other gemstone will satisfy.
Tired of looking at yellow gemstones? what about blue gemstones then?
9. Unknown Yellow Gemstones: Yellow Sphene Stones
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Sphene also goes by the name Titanite, mostly because it is a titanium silicate material. It’s also from the Greek word meaning “wedge.” Sphene crystals often end in a wedge shape. The gem comes in a wide range of colors, such as reddish brown, green, and yes, yellow.
The less iron in a sample of Sphene, the greater the yellow hue. When we get into those strands of gemstone, we get an absolutely brilliant stone for jewelry. This is due to the fact that Sphene has a very high refractive rate. Not only that but it plays with light in a unique and great way.
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Nicely-faceted Yellow Sphene stones are smooth and very clear, with a lozenge-like quality. What’s interesting is that as lovely as this gemstone is, it has never really crossed into the mainstream. You’re not going to find them in just every jewelry store, and that’s probably where their specialness comes from.
Most modern-day Sphene on the market comes from Madagascar, Brazil, Switzerland, or Austria. It’s just the thing for brooches and necklaces. However, with a hardness score of 5.5, it’s not all about rings.
We’d all like to improve our mind, and Sphene is the rare gemstone that helps us do just that. It specifically excels in helping a wearer process information. It is also thought to make a person less needy and to help us let go of our cravings.
10. Yellow Tourmaline
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If you’ve read our guides to blue or other colored gemstones, you’ve learned about Tourmaline, a very popular and high-quality gemstone. Tourmaline is a boron silicate that contains an incredible variety of elements. It’s a semi-precious stone found in many colors and also often exhibits pleochroism, meaning having multiple colors.
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Yellow is the rarest form of Tourmaline, an amazing find to be sure. It’s the kind of gemstone to order or sleuth out, since you’re not likely to happen upon it. When you do find some, they’ll probably be in small sizes.
Another trait that is common in Tourmaline stones is inclusions. One can decide for oneself how cool or desirable inclusions are. Classically, they take away from the purity of the stone. But we live in an inclusive society in which combinations of various elements are highly valued. The inclusions in Tourmaline don’t compromise its brilliance and the quality of the color.
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As to some of the technical specifications, Tourmaline scores 7-7.5 on the Mohs hardness score. They are often faceted and are suitable for everyday wear.
Tourmaline is known to be a “receptive stone” pulling in spiritual and healing energies. It is known to have inward and soothing properties.
11. Golden Beryl: one of the most Sophisticated Yellow Gemstones
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Golden Beryl has a sophisticated look due to its abundance of tones that are metallic rather than pure sunny yellow. The gold, nearly wheatlike infusions of tone cause Golden Beryl to have a warmth of appearance.
Golden Beryl is less known and renowned than other strains of Beryl, and that keeps it affordable. The stone was first found in Namibia in 1913.
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Today many of these stones come from Madagascar or Brazil. This elegant stone is OK for frequent wear, since it has a Mohs score of 7.5-8.
Golden Beryl is associated with more illuminated thoughts and a sharper, more focused mind.
12. Lucky Yellow Gemstones: Yellow Jade
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Our last stone is an attention getter for sure. With lemon hues going from understated to bright with an oily aspect, Yellow Jade stands out in any crowd.
Technically, Yellow Jade is quartz, not true Jade. Its color is caused by the presence of Iron, but sometimes also through process of dying.
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One of the top benefits of Yellow Jade is that it can deliver good luck to a wearer. It is also associated with optimism and will help you put your energies toward success and achievement.
Yellow is an interesting color for jewelry. It can sometimes be overlooked, but it has so many qualities people look for in jewelry. Many yellow gemstones refract light and turn it into lovely sparkles. Many of them are bright and lustrous.
Other types of yellow gems or gemstones include yellow topaz, yellow garnet, yellow chrysoberyl (used in jewelry under the name cat's eye).
Yellow gemstones can brighten up your wardrobe and add a playfulness and whimsy to your look. This will brighten your own mood and draw people toward your sunny aspect. Because many yellow versions of gemstones can be lesser known, they are often affordable. Some yellow gemstones can even be replacements for diamonds!
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