Yellow Sapphires

Yellow Sapphires: 10 Things You Need To Know Before You Buy

Nothing puts our mind into summer mode quite like a yellow sapphire. Their bright, crisp brilliance sparkles like a late August sun. Fancy yellow sapphires are not only pretty, but amazingly affordable. Their popularity as engagement ring stones has been growing steadily over the last decade and is only set to increase in 2020 for yellow sapphire engagement rings.

Essential Details About Yellow Sapphires

Yellow sapphires are the best yellow diamond alternative, if not coming in as even better! Sapphire engagement rings have increasingly been the choice for brides looking for more economical, personal, and unique choices.

Yellow sapphires are being seen more and more as a popular choice for an engagement ring center stone. They come in a wide range of yellows from light to dark, with varying levels of vibrancy. Far more affordable than yellow diamonds and boasting a greater variety in shades and cuts, there’s really no question why yellow sapphires have become the top choice.

And the engagement ring trends for 2020 are continuing what we saw in the previous years, only stronger: lots of color and more variety of personalized choices. The moved towards colored gemstones for engagement rings has been steadily growing and it’s no surprise – a colored gemstone is the epitome of something unique and personal to the wearer. And a yellow sapphire engagement ring is guaranteed to be incredibly flattering and so memorable.

If you’re thinking of heading down the yellow brick road, so to speak, the tips below are designed to give you the knowledge that will help you with a successful and rewarding purchase of your perfect yellow sapphire engagement ring. And considering that yellow sapphires are only set to continue their rise in popularity well into 2020, we didn’t leave out anything that would be valuable!

1. There Are Many Shades of Yellow Available

Like all colors, yellow covers a huge range. From natural pastel light yellow and lemon yellow, to a deep orangey-yellow or golden yellow, all are magnificent. Color is a personal preference, and you should always choose a stone with color that you and your partner like best. But the most sought-after yellow, is a medium vibrant canary. The brighter and purer the yellow color, the more valuable the sapphire.

The main causes of yellow coloration in sapphires is the trace element iron. In general, increased iron concentrations will produce higher color saturation, leading to a richer hue. Yellow sapphires can also be color-enhanced naturally by low-level radiation within the earth or by lab-induced irradiation. Irradiated yellow sapphires are not dangerous, but their color has been known to fade with exposure to heat and light. At the Natural Sapphire Company, we test all our yellow sapphires for signs of irradiation treatment and don’t sell these stones.

2. Yellow Sapphires Can Have Excellent Clarity

A sapphire with no inclusions is often viewed with suspicion; it may be a synthetic stone or a glass imitation. It’s important to check that there is genuine documentation for the stone you are purchasing.

The best clarity grade for sapphires is “Perfection”, which means it is completely clear to the naked eye, or ‘eye-clean’. This is followed by VVS (Very Very Slightly included) and VS (Very Slightly included) grading, which recognize very small inclusions, but not enough to seriously impair the sapphire’s appearance.

Yellow sapphires tend to have fewer inclusions than other colors, which is quite convenient, since the medium tone at which the color shows best does little to hide inclusions. But what exactly are inclusions? Inclusions are a natural consequence of crystal growth and even the best stones are not expected to be totally inclusion free. For surface blemishes, like scratches or chips, it is important you inspect the stone carefully yourself.

3. Where Are Yellow Sapphires Found

Yellow sapphires are found in Tanzania, Madagascar, Thailand, and Australia, although Sri Lanka is the primary source. While many of our customers worry about how origin might affect the value of their sapphire, with yellow sapphires, the mining origin doesn’t affect the price.

4. The Cut Is Incredibly Important

The cut is the main factor affecting your sapphire’s sparkle. If the cut is poor it will look dull and lifeless. Cut does not refer to the shape of the stone, rather to the facets on the gem’s surface, which allow light and color to shine through at their best.

Yellow sapphire rough has traditionally been less costly than blues or pinks, so cutters don’t compromise brilliance in favor of weight retention. As a result, well-cut yellow sapphires are easier to find than other sapphire colors and are more readily available in specialty cuts. A good cut is especially crucial if the stone color is light. Dark gemstones can look lively and dramatic, even if the cut is not perfect. However, with light or colorless gemstones, the stone’s ability to reflect light is very important.

5. You Must Ask About Any Heat Treatments Used

Traditional heating is widely used for yellow sapphires. This process can enhance the color and transparency of some stones, and the changes made are permanent.

At the Natural Sapphire Company, we specialize in offering untreated sapphires, the ‘real thing’. We believe there is no substitute for the beauty of a natural, untreated sapphire. They are much rarer and consequently hold greater value. Again, it is important to check any documentation or reports linked to your stone. They will tell you if it has been treated.

6. A Rare and Unique Gemstone

Fine natural yellow sapphires are still rare. There was a time when jewelers did not know or recognize any other color but blue sapphires. In 1980, some dealers in Thailand began experimental heating of pale-yellow sapphires which were cheap and in abundance. The experiments were successful and the sapphires were transformed by heating from soft pastel shades into much richer golden and orangey-yellows.

7. The Mineral Make-up of Yellow Sapphires

Yellow sapphires are made up of the mineral corundum, that is colored by trace elements of iron. This is how they get their beautiful color. As with all sapphires, they are incredibly tough and scratch resistant, and rate 9 on the Mohs scale (the third hardest mineral, right behind diamond at 10 and moissanite at 9.25). This actually makes them incredibly useful in a lot of wearable technology!

8. The Price Is Extremely Affordable

If you were considering a yellow diamond ring and were put off by the daunting price tag, then yellow sapphires are the right choice for you. You are very likely to find a beautiful sapphire comparable in color and quality that is within your price range.

You can refine and filter your choice by price range and carat weight. Prices vary depending on the size and quality of each stone. Carat weight plus a combination of color, cut, and clarity grade. There’s something for everyone depending on their budget and wants!

9. Yellow Sapphires Are Lovely In Any Metal

There are two schools of thought for the choice of metal that will best highlight a yellow sapphire.

The lighter, more pastel yellow, tends to suit more silver colored metals, such as platinum and white gold. The richer yellow stones on the other hand are very popular with darker metals, like rose or yellow gold.

10. Wisdom and Prosperity Follow Yellow Sapphires

Well known for being the bringer of wisdom and prosperity, sapphire is also the September birthstone, the gem of the fifth and 45th wedding anniversaries, and the zodiac gem for Virgo.

Yellow sapphires specifically are heavily used in India for Vedic Astrology and this has been a major contributor to the rise in price of this gemstone. We find that many people have a cultural need that stipulates natural sapphire use (specifically yellow ones) for good luck and good energy.

Bright and cheerful, everyone loves yellow sapphires. We’re sure you’ll be glad you picked it for your colored-stone jewelry piece. See all of our gorgeous yellow sapphires ready for you here, and contact us with all your yellow sapphire questions – we love to talk sapphires!

A Complete Guide to Yellow Sapphire Engagement Rings

A yellow sapphire can look stunning as an engagement ring center stone, particularly when it’s surrounded by a halo of diamonds.

Yellow sapphires closely resemble yellow diamonds. However, their lower price makes them a good alternative if you’re looking for a beautiful yellow center stone but aren’t satisfied with the diamonds that are available in your price range.

As with all sapphires, color is the most important factor to look for when you’re comparing yellow sapphires. We recommend shopping from a trusted online vendor like James Allen, who stock a diverse range of high quality loose yellow sapphires and engagement ring settings.

Bright, eye-catching and impressive, a yellow sapphire can make a stunning engagement ring center stone.

Yellow sapphires aren’t as common as blue sapphires. In fact, many people aren’t even aware that yellow sapphires exist. Like other sapphires in colors other than blue (such as pink, green or white), yellow sapphires are commonly referred to as “fancy sapphires.”

Visually, yellow sapphires tend to resemble yellow diamonds. Despite this, they’re significantly less expensive, making a yellow sapphire a great alternative to a diamond if you’re looking for an elegant, impressive yellow center stone.

Like other colored sapphires, buying a yellow sapphire is a less technical process than buying a diamond. In general, you’ll want to spend less of your time focusing on the four Cs and more on the specific characteristics that make a sapphire beautiful, such as its color.

Below, we’ve covered everything you need to know about buying a yellow sapphire engagement ring, or other yellow sapphire jewelry. We’ve also included a range of tips and tactics to help you get the highest quality center stone and setting for your budget.

If you want to see some examples of what yellow sapphire engagement rings look like, have a look at recently purchased rings from out top-rated retailers.

YELLOW SAPPHIRE MEANING

Yellow sapphire is a gemstone that ranges from pale yellow to rich gold, is durable, and looks stunning in engagement rings and other fine jewelry. Like many other gemstones, yellow sapphire has been given a range of historical meanings. It’s closely associated with success and luck, making it a common gift for people seeking prosperity and material wealth.

HOW ARE YELLOW SAPPHIRES FORMED

Yellow sapphire comes from the corundum mineral and develops its unique color from the presence of iron during formation. Over the course of millions of years, traces of iron can color the corundum that makes up the sapphire, giving it a warm, yellow color.

Like other fancy sapphires, yellow sapphires can vary wildly in color. Some have a rich, golden yellow color, whereas others have a lighter, less saturated color.

Yellow sapphire is mined in a variety of countries. The highest quality yellow sapphires are usually sourced from Sri Lanka, although sapphires in this color also come from the USA, Australia, Myanmar, Thailand and Madagascar.

YELLOW SAPPHIRE: HARDNESS

All sapphires, including yellow sapphires, have a hardness rating of nine out of 10 on the Mohs scale. This puts them just one point behind a diamond, which has a 10 out of 10 score. Thanks to their hardness, sapphires are durable stones that are very difficult to scratch or damage.

YELLOW SAPPHIRE: PRICE

Yellow sapphires are not expensive, with the average price of a 1 Carat yellow sapphire being $420. The price of yellow sapphires depends on the carat weight, cut quality, and richness of color. For example, this 1.24 Carat oval yellow sapphire costs $360 while this 1.23 Carat emerald cut yellow sapphire costs $530. In general, sapphires that have a canary yellow color tone are most desired and fetch the highest prices.

YELLOW SAPPHIRE VS. YELLOW DIAMOND

Yellow sapphires are a part of the corundum mineral family, while yellow diamonds are a fancy color diamond with traces of nitrogen in the composition. Yellow diamonds are far rarer and therefore much more expensive than yellow sapphires. For instance, this 1 Carat cushion cut yellow diamond costs $8,050 while this 1 Carat cushion cut yellow sapphire costs $500.

Yellow diamonds rank 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness while yellow sapphires are a 9, making diamonds more durable. Both the yellow sapphire and yellow diamond can range in color from a pale yellow hue to a rich gold. In general, yellow diamonds have a more vibrant color and offer more light reflection than yellow sapphires.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A YELLOW SAPPHIRE ENGAGEMENT RING

As we mentioned above, buying a sapphire is generally a less technical process than buying a diamond. Rather than a combination of the four Cs, the most important factor for a sapphire is its color, with cut and clarity less important than they are for a diamond.

Color

Like with fancy sapphires in other colors, the color of a yellow sapphire is usually the factor that has the largest impact on its beauty, as well as the price you’ll pay to purchase it.

Yellow sapphires come in a variety of tones, hues and saturation levels. For example, this 1.85 carat oval natural yellow sapphire has a light yellow color, whereas this 2.93 carat oval natural yellow sapphire has a much darker, orange/bronze color.

Because color can vary so much between different yellow sapphires, it’s important to pay close attention to photos before you choose a loose yellow sapphire to add to a setting or a pre-made yellow sapphire engagement ring.

Generally, sapphires with a canary yellow-like color tend to command the highest prices. When you’re comparing sapphires, you’ll want to pay attention to three key factors that affect the color and appearance of a stone.

The vast majority of yellow sapphires are heat treated for enhanced color and clarity. This is a common process that’s also used for other fancy sapphires. Sapphires that haven’t been heat treated are very rare and sell at a significant premium.

Hue

Hue refers to how a sapphire’s color compares to neighboring colors on the color wheel. The two colors that neighbor yellow — orange and green — can both be identified in certain yellow sapphires.

Tone and Saturation

Tone refers to how light or dark a sapphire’s color is. Yellow sapphires with a light tone can be bright and eye-catching, whereas darker sapphires can have an orangey-yellow color that can make the stone appear less transparent.

Saturation refers to how intense, vibrant and vivid a sapphire’s color is. Sapphires with a vivid, medium tone color tend to be the most attractive and desirable, especially if they’re a relatively pure yellow.

Unlike with diamonds, there’s no standardized color grading system for sapphires. Because of this, it’s much more important for you to look at a sapphire’s physical color than to rely on color grades to get an idea of its appearance.

Vendors like James Allen make this easy, since they have large, color accurate photos of their entire loose sapphire and pre-made yellow sapphire ring inventory.

Clarity

It’s common for sapphires of all colors to feature inclusions, particularly rutile needles. When a sapphire has no inclusions, it’s quite unusual — in general, a sapphire with flawless clarity will usually be looked at with a certain amount of suspicion by a gemologist.

Interestingly, yellow sapphires usually have fewer inclusions than blue, green, pink and other fancy sapphires.

Unlike with diamonds, where it’s important to pay attention to the clarity grade, with sapphires, the best approach is to check that the stone is “eye-clean.” This simply means that the stone is free of inclusions when viewed with the naked eye.

Any yellow sapphire that’s eye-clean and free of obvious, visible inclusions will look more than acceptable once it’s set into a ring.

Cut

Yellow sapphires come in a wide variety of different cuts. Unlike with a diamond, there are no standardized cuts that are used for sapphires. Instead, the gem cutter will pick an appropriate cut that maximizes the stone’s color, light return and other factors.

The most common cuts for yellow sapphires include oval, round, cushion and emerald. Other cuts, such as princess, heart and pear are also occasionally used for certain stones.

Carat Weight

Yellow diamonds are available in a range of carat weights, with pricing rising exponentially as carat weight increases.

Sapphires, whether yellow or in any other color, are slightly denser than diamonds. This means that a three carat sapphire, for example, will have smaller dimensions than a diamond with an equal carat weight.

To account for this, vendors that sell sapphires typically provide measurements for their loose stones. For example, this 1.74 carat oval natural yellow sapphire from James Allen measures 7.60×5.70mm.

HOW CAN I TELL IF MY YELLOW SAPPHIRE IS REAL?

You can tell if a yellow sapphire is real by looking for scratches and tiny bubbles, and verifying the gemstone’s certificate. Yellow sapphires are extremely durable as they rank 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Imitation stones, often made with glass, only rank a 6. That’s why fake yellow sapphires often have scratches on the surface that you can see.

While almost all yellow sapphires have inclusions, high-quality yellow sapphires won’t have blemishes that can be seen by the naked eye. Fake yellow sapphires often have small visible bubbles in the composition. Look closely at the stone to ensure there are no bubbles or scratches (a good indication that it’s a fake yellow sapphire).

WHICH COLOR YELLOW SAPPHIRE IS BEST?

The richer and deeper the color, the more desirable a yellow sapphire usually is. But the color you choose should be based on your personal preference. You might prefer a lighter yellow tone or a gemstone with a secondary hue like orange or red. That’s why it’s best to look at a variety of yellow sapphires to find one that catches your attention.

WHERE TO BUY A YELLOW SAPPHIRE ENGAGEMENT RING

Although yellow sapphires aren’t as common as blue sapphires, they’re easy to buy online as either loose gemstones or with an engagement ring setting.

The best place to buy a yellow sapphire engagement ring is James Allen. They maintain a large selection of loose yellow sapphires in a diverse range of colors and carat weights, as well as an even larger selection of high-quality engagement ring settings.

One of the reasons James Allen are particularly good for fancy sapphires is their high-resolution photography. Since all of the sapphires are photographed from 360 degrees in identical lighting conditions, it’s easy to compare one yellow sapphire’s hue, tone and saturation to another’s

Beyond this, the prices are great and the customer service is impeccable, as we’ve covered in our James Allen review.

TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE BEST YELLOW SAPPHIRE ENGAGEMENT RING

From choosing the right metal to pairing your sapphire with a beautiful setting design, there are a variety of tactics you can use to make sure you get the highest quality yellow sapphire ring for your budget:

Look for a medium, vibrant, canary yellow color. This is generally the most desirable color for a yellow sapphire. Sapphires with this color command a slight premium, but are still significantly more affordable than diamonds and other fancy sapphires.

Consider a halo or pavé setting. Yellow sapphires and other fancy sapphires can look especially elegant in a halo setting, where a halo of small diamonds surrounds the large center stone. Settings such as this 14k yellow gold cushion outline pavé ring can emphasize the gorgeous color of a yellow sapphire, all while giving the center stone the appearance of a larger size.

Choose a metal that complements the color of the sapphire. Yellow sapphires look amazing with in a variety of metals, including white gold. They’re particularly impressive in yellow gold settings, especially with halo diamonds to emphasize the sapphire’s color. For example, this gorgeous 2.09 carat engagement ring features halo diamonds and two rows of pave-set diamonds, both of which help to create visual contrast between the rich yellow of the sapphire and the warm 14k yellow gold of the ring.

Remember that heat treatment is common. Like many other colored gemstones, it’s very common for sapphires to be heat-treated for improved color and clarity. As such, it isn’t a good practice to avoid stones simply because they’re been heat-treated.

Check a sapphire’s measurements before purchasing. As we mentioned earlier, the density of a sapphire is higher than that of a diamond. This makes it important to check the stone’s measurements, not just its carat weight, to get an idea of its size.