Yellow and Golden Gemstones: List of 27 Yellow Gems

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They say all that glitters is not gold, but what about colored gemstones? Today, we’ll go over all the golden and yellow gemstones' names and meanings!

So, what crystals are yellow? Let’s sneak a peek at our yellow gemstones list:

Yellow Gemstones

Citrine
Lemon Quartz
Rutilated Quartz
Lemon Chrysoprase
Amber
Golden Pearl
Heliodor
Chrysoberyl
Mali Garnet
Scapolite
Danburite
Golden Sphalerite
Yellow Apatite
Yellow Sapphire (Pukhraj)
Yellow Tourmaline
Yellow Fluorite
Yellow Jade
Yellow Topaz
Yellow Zircon
Yellow Jasper
Yellow Londonite
Sunstone
Fire Opal
Yellow Calcite
Yellow Moonstone
Yellow Aventurine
Yellow Diamond

Every color carries symbolism, so what do yellow stones mean? It may vary, but overall, the yellow gemstones meaning ties to happiness, confidence, and intellect.

For healing, what is the yellow crystal good for? Yellow healing crystals can open the solar plexus chakra and grant focus, fulfillment, and bliss.

Without further ado, let’s get into our list of yellow crystals!

Citrine

Citrine is one of the most popular yellow gemstones, though it also comes in orange and brownish-orange hues. Citrine’s color typically comes from iron—which is surprising, considering all the heat-treated amethyst citrine stones on the market!

Symbolizing the warmth and radiance of the sun, citrine crystal has been used since ancient times to manifest prosperity and ease aggression. The gem is a modern birthstone for November and the traditional gift for the 13th wedding anniversary!

You may have heard of a gem called “lemon quartz” and wondered: what’s the difference between lemon quartz and citrine? Read on to find out!

Lemon Quartz

Lemon quartz is a yellow form of quartz that cannot be found naturally, unlike the naturally yellow crystal citrine. The key differences between citrine and lemon quartz are:

Lemon quartz is only created through heat treatment and gamma-ray irradiation.
Citrine contains iron oxide.
Lemon quartz displays a light, vibrant lemon-yellow with green undertones, but citrine has a broader range of warm yellows with brown undertones.

In Brazil, lemon quartz goes by the trade name Ouro Verde, a Portuguese term for “green gold.”

Metaphysically, lemon quartz promotes perseverance, focus, and mental clarity. The stone also symbolizes purity, passion, and vigor. Plus, some astrologists tout the benefits of lemon quartz as a Gemini zodiac stone.

Rutilated Quartz

Rutilated quartz is one yellow gem that is technically colorless. But, it contains golden inclusions that can make the stone appear golden-yellow, depending on the concentration of inclusions.

The stone’s inclusions are rutile, a form of titanium dioxide, and resemble groups of thin needles within the gem. Besides rutile, the stone’s primary component is quartz, composed of silicon dioxide. Despite only being discovered in the 1940s, rutilated quartz has gained a slew of nicknames, including “Cupid’s darts” and “Venus hair stone.”

The golden threading in the stone and its purported ability to clarify areas for spiritual growth led to another nickname: “The Illuminator.” Rutile alone can help alleviate loneliness, a benefit that quartz’s amplifying properties enhance, bringing the wearer a feeling of confidence and community.

Lemon Chrysoprase

The name “lemon chrysoprase” refers to a yellow-green gemstone that is not chrysoprase but a nickel-rich form of magnesite. Also called citron chrysoprase, the gem has more geologically accurate nicknames, including lemon magnesite or nickeloan magnesite.

Lemon chrysoprase’s milky and yellow-green appearance has led to it being commonly confused for jadeite. Miners discovered this gem in mid-1900s Western Australia.

The stone’s green undertones make it a great stone for balancing the heart chakra, along with attracting good luck and career success. This yellow crystal is a zodiac stone for Gemini and an alternative birthstone for May.

Amber

Amber is a translucent golden-yellow, orange, or brown organic gemstone. By “organic,” we mean amber is one of the few gemstones (with coral and pearl) formed by living organisms. In amber’s case, ancient trees secrete a resinous material to seal gaps in their bark that hardens and fossilizes into amber.

The stone’s formation goes back about 50 million years, and evidence shows prehistoric people created jewelry from amber gemstones to place in graves. Amber’s meaning varied in ancient cultures, from Chinese beliefs that the stone held tigers’ souls, to Roman women wearing amber figurines for fertility, to Greeks naming it elektron to mean “made by the sun.”

For healing, amber can open the solar plexus chakra and connect you to nature. Amber is also a zodiac stone for Leo and Taurus, as well as an alternative November birthstone.

Are there other yellow organic gemstones? You bet!

Golden Pearl

Like amber, golden pearls are organic. Oysters and mussels create pearls by forming a material called nacre that engulfs irritants, like sand, that have entered the shell, protecting the creature from harm. Golden pearls grow in gold-lipped pearl oysters from the South Sea and are called golden south sea pearls.

Among all pearl types, golden pearls rank highly in terms of value and size. While south sea pearls aren’t usually treated, some golden south sea pearls are treated to attain their coloring.

Golden pearl’s symbolism links to feminine and lunar energies. Vedic texts describe pearl’s origin as a combination of heaven and water fertilized through lightning. Metaphysical uses for golden pearls include granting wisdom, attracting wealth, and easing childbirth.

Pearl is the traditional birthstone for June and a lucky star stone for Sagittarius. Since Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, these zodiac signs can also wear golden pearls as a lucky talisman!

Back to the Earth-formed gemstones, what gemstone is light yellow?

Heliodor

Heliodor is a glimmering beryl variety that ranges from light yellow to warm gold, sometimes showing orange or green undertones. You may see names like “golden beryl,” “yellow beryl,” or even “yellow emerald,” used for heliodor.

Discovered in 1912, the name “heliodor” started as a trade name for golden-colored beryl from Rossing, Namibia (the first source) but has since broadened to describe all golden-yellow beryl gemstones. The name comes from the Greek helios and doron, meaning “gift from the sun.”

All beryl stones bring luck to Scorpio and Sagittarius zodiac signs, though heliodor also grants good fortune to Leo. Crystal healers often use heliodor for increasing self-esteem and determination.

Chrysoberyl

Unlike heliodor, chrysoberyl is not a beryl variety, though it’s a common confusion. Besides beryl, chrysoberyl was historically confused with chrysolite, particularly during the late 1800s to early 1900s in England.

Chrysoberyl is a beryllium aluminum oxide mineral with pale yellowish-green hues caused by iron. There are three primary chrysoberyl varieties:

Ordinary Chrysoberyl: Yellow to green chrysoberyl found in abundance worldwide
Cat’s Eye Chrysoberyl (Cymophane): Deep honey to yellow-green chrysoberyl displaying chatoyancy, where a thin band of light reflects across the stone, resembling a cat’s eye.
Alexandrite: A very rare and highly valued color-changing variety that changes from vibrant green to red under certain light.

As you can see, ordinary chrysoberyl and cat’s eye chrysoberyl are the only yellow types. On the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, chrysoberyl ranks an impressive 8.5.

Throughout Asian history, chrysoberyl stones held various metaphysical meanings, from protection from the evil eye to ensuring good health, to granting clairvoyance. Today, common uses for chrysoberyl include increasing self-control, generosity, and objectivity. Those under the astrological sign Virgo can also wear chrysoberyl as a lucky zodiac stone!

Mali Garnet

You may know garnets as spectacular red gemstones, but did you know they come in yellow? The Mali garnet is a rare variety of bright yellow-green to golden-brown garnet named for the first and only source of these stones: Mali, West Africa.

Mali garnets are a combination of two garnet species: andradite and grossular, though predominantly grossular. This mix is sometimes referred to as “grandite.” Andradite garnets possess a high refractive index and dispersion, meaning they display a glittering array of white and colored sparkles.

Like other garnets, these stones symbolize passion, friendship, and love. According to crystal healers, Mali garnets can enhance self-confidence in the romance department and boost creativity. Besides being the traditional January birthstone, garnets also benefit the zodiac signs Capricorn and Aquarius.

Scapolite

The word scapolite refers to a group of tectosilicate minerals found in calcium-rich rocks or any mineral from the scapolite group. We’ll use the second definition here. Scapolite is a vibrant yellow-green, goldish-green, or violet gemstone, though most are honey yellow. The amount of calcium and sodium within the stone determines its color.

The name comes from the Greek skapos, which translates to “rod” or “shaft” in reference to the short columnar crystal shape. The first discovery was in Myanmar in 1913, though other nations produce impressive scapolites, like Tanzania’s deep golden scapolite specimens.

Scapolite shows strong fluorescence, pleochroism, and, rarely, chatoyancy or tenebrescence (changing colors in the sun.) Most yellow scapolite fluorescence is yellow to orange, though some yellow specimens from Quebec have lilac fluorescence!

Scapolite gemstones are known for their soothing yet deep emotional healing properties, helping you look past reactionary emotions like anger or frustration to find and address the true source of your pain.

Danburite

Danburite is a white, pale yellow, brownish-yellow, or pink gemstone composed of calcium boron silicate. However, you’ll typically only see colorless or yellow danburite stones on the market. While danburite is more common for collectors than jewelers, the gem has high clarity, dispersion, and durability, making it great for daily wear.

We owe danburite’s discovery to American mineralogist Charles Upham Shepard, who found it in 1839 and named it after the source: Danbury, Connecticut, USA. Since then, danburite deposits have popped up around the world, with Tanzania boasting high-quality golden specimens.

Spiritually, these pale yellow crystals open the crown chakra and symbolize patience, peace, and healing. Similar to scapolite, danburite crystals are known for clarifying and healing the deeper, more profound source of our suffering.

Golden Sphalerite

Another common collector’s stone-like danburite is sphalerite. Also called “zinc blende” or “black-jack,” sphalerite is a zinc sulfide mineral primarily used as a source of zinc. In fact, 95% of the world’s zinc today comes from sphalerite ore!

Sphalerite can be a few different colors, but yellow, brass-yellow, and orange sphalerite gems go by “golden sphalerite.” The stone often contains iron, making the color range between pale greenish-yellow to yellowish-brown.

Despite an abundance of rough sphalerite, the stone is only at 3.5-4 on the Mohs scale and, therefore, difficult to facet. Still, the stone is beautiful, often fluorescing in vibrant orange-red to red hues. Namibian sphalerite can even be triboluminescent, meaning it glows under friction.

German mineralogist E.F. Glocker discovered sphalerite in 1847 and named it from the Greek word for “treacherous,” as the stone resembles galena but doesn’t yield lead as galena does.

On the spiritual side, golden sphalerite symbolizes courage and reportedly motivates you to discover your full potential. The gem is also an astrological talisman for Gemini.

Yellow Apatite

Apatite is a bit of a chameleon gem, and yellow is just one of the hues it comes in. Like sphalerite, apatite can describe a group of similar minerals or one of the minerals in this group. Beyond its own diversity, apatite gets mistaken for other gems so often that the mineralogist who discovered it named it after the Greek word for “deceiving.”

Apatite is typically green, but you can find yellow apatite in Mexico and the USA, as well as greenish-yellow apatite in Morocco and Zimbabwe. However, Sri Lanka and Tanzania boast impressive and rare yellow cat’s eye apatite.

The stone’s color usually comes from natural irradiation or rare earth elements being present. Along with attractive surface coloring, yellow apatite stones can fluoresce in purplish-pink and may show yellow-green to brownish-green pleochroism.

On the metaphysical end, yellow apatite represents hope and clarity. These gems can open the solar plexus chakra and help you release harmful patterns or habits holding you back.

Yellow Sapphire (Pukhraj)

Thought all sapphires were blue? Guess again! Yellow sapphire is a form of corundum in hues from greenish-yellow to the coveted canary yellow, all of which come from traces of iron.

At a 9 on the Mohs scale, yellow sapphires make durable gems for any jewelry type. Wearing this gemstone can remind you of its symbolic compassion and spiritual wisdom, along with its ability to bring success and bliss.

What about Pukhraj? Pukhraj is the Hindi word for yellow sapphire, though many Indians use Pukhraj for citrine or yellow topaz. However, in Vedic astrology, pukhraj holds an important connection to yellow sapphire as one of the nine gemstones tied to the planets.

Pukhraj connects to the largest and arguably most powerful planet, Jupiter. As such, yellow sapphire is the astrological stone for the two zodiac signs Jupiter rules: Sagittarius and Pisces. Outside of astrology, yellow sapphire serves as a September birthstone!

Yellow Tourmaline

The true chameleon gemstone is tourmaline, a mineral that naturally forms 100 unique shades and often multi-colored options. Yellow tourmaline ranges from vivid canary yellow, to muted daffodil yellow, to subtle champagne yellow and banana yellow. The tourmaline gemstone family is complex and varied, but most yellow tourmalines are elbaite-species tourmalines colored by iron and titanium.

Yellow and orange tourmalines symbolize purity and harmony, balancing the spirit, body, and mind. These tourmaline colors can also improve self-reflection and growth while protecting you from anything that could take away your personal power.

Tourmaline is the traditional October birthstone, so why not celebrate summer and autumn (and your birthday) with a yellow tourmaline?

Yellow Zircon

Zircon is a natural gemstone of many trade names and a few different colors. Yellow zircons range in shade from pastel to vibrant, saturated yellow.

The terms hyacinth or jacinth refer to transparent yellow-orange or red zircons. Jargoon or jargon refers to gem-quality colorless, pale yellow, or smoky yellow zircons.

The name zircon comes from the Persian zargun for “golden-hued,” which led to the nickname jargon. Sri Lankans use melichrysos for yellow zircons, while the Siamese term in Thailand is slang. And yes, jargon and slang are both real terms in the gem trade!

Yellow zircons symbolize wisdom and sometimes angels. In some Jewish folklore, Zircon was the name of the angel that protected the first two humans, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden. Modern crystal healers claim yellow zircons can help in marriage, either by easing conflicts, speeding the engagement, or boosting fertility.

Yellow Fluorite

Fluorite rivals tourmaline in color range, and yellow or golden fluorite is one example of this impressive range. Among tourmaline colors, yellow is pretty rare. Color zoning is common in fluorite, and yellow coloring may come from color centers involving the rare earth metal yttrium. Yttrium is also responsible for any yellow fluorescence in fluorite.

Fluorite alone is a calcium fluoride mineral and ranks at a delicate 4 on the Mohs scale, making it more popular for collecting than faceting. Fluorite’s signature trait helped uncover the science behind this phenomenon—and name it! Blue-violet is the most common fluorescence color in these gems, but many glow yellow.

As a healing crystal, yellow fluorite can strengthen creative problem-solving. The analytical earth signs Capricorn and Virgo can also take advantage of this gem’s properties as a zodiac stone!

Yellow Jade

One of the common misconceptions about jade is that it’s always green, but jade can be many colors, including yellow! The other part most people don’t know is that “jade” can actually be jadeite or nephrite.

A note on misnomers: Some traders use “yellow jade” for a cloudy yellow quartz variety. Another misnomer is “honey jade,” used as an (incorrect) trade name for semi-translucent golden jasper.

Now back to real yellow jade!

Yellow or golden jade is one of the rarest colors of nephrite and can be very pale yellow to deep golden-yellow. Pale yellow to cream-colored translucent nephrite stones go by “mutton fat jade” in China. The stone’s yellow coloring comes from either tantalum inclusions or ions in the crystal lattice.

Yellow jade symbolizes peace, wisdom, and protection. As a planetary stone for the Sun and Mars, yellow jade can benefit those with signs under Leo, Aries, and Scorpio.

Yellow Topaz

The golden-hued yellow topaz is a sparkling variety of the aluminum and fluorine silicate mineral. Structural defects in the crystal lattice can naturally cause the yellow color, but some bright golden-yellow topaz stones are heat-treated brown topaz.

If orange mixes in, the stone may be called Golden Topaz. However, the more popular yellow-hued topaz is the rare Imperial Topaz, a pinkish-yellow to golden-orange variety more valuable than any other topaz.

Before the 1900s, people called all yellow gems “topaz.” Despite the incorrect usage, different cultures assigned yellow “topaz” stones several abilities, from breaking curses to ensuring a long life.

Today, yellow topaz symbolizes optimism, empathy, and family. Crystal healers recommend these gems for dispelling self-doubt and manifesting people that can help you succeed. Besides being a November birthstone, yellow topaz also traditionally commemorates the 23rd wedding anniversary!

Yellow Jasper

Yellow jasper stones can be solid-yellow or incorporate yellow in their patterns. The yellow hues in jasper can be sunshine yellow, mango, mustard, or flaxen yellow. First, let’s discuss solid-colored yellow jasper.

Yellow jasper is an opaque mixture of chalcedony and quartz. Its colors vary from vibrant sunshine yellow to brownish-yellow, typically caused by goethite or iron oxide inclusions.

Now here are the patterned yellow jasper varieties:

Noreena Jasper: Western Australia’s multi-colored variety with an assortment of yellow, red, orange, and white colors resembling a Jackson Pollock painting.
Carrasite Jasper: Variety with a surface of mixed colors, including yellow, green, red, orange, and brown.
Bumblebee Jasper: A type of agate, incorrectly called jasper, with yellow, orange, and black stripes.
Mookaite Jasper: Australian sedimentary jasper in swirling yellow, red, and/or auburn colors that usually have fossils inside.

Whether it’s solid or patterned, yellow jasper gems can bring you greater willpower, insight, and zeal. These traits perfectly align with the zodiac sign Aries, who can use this crystal as a zodiac stone.

Yellow Londonite

A lesser-known yellow gemstone is the incredibly rare londonite stone, a cesium-dominant borate mineral that forms a series with the potassium-dominant rhodozite.

Recently discovered in 1998, this stone was named in honor of Dr. David London, a geology and geophysics professor at the University of Oklahoma.

Londonite stones can be colorless, white, or yellow, often mixed with green to create sulfur yellow or green-yellow hues. Be aware that too much exposure to sunlight can make the yellow and greenish-yellow londonite stones fade to colorless.

Yellow londonite crystals bring stronger focus, less anxiety, and a clearer state of mind.

Sunstone

Sunstones are feldspar minerals in yellow, orange, or red, depending on the size and concentration of their inclusions. The inclusions in sunstone are usually copper, which forms tiny platelets that reflect light, producing the glittering metallic effect called aventurescence. Other inclusions that produce the same effect are goethite or hematite.

Of the sunstone colors, yellow sunstones are the most affordable. Some mining locales have their own varieties too, like Mexico’s yellow “Golden Sunstone” and Oregon’s “Oregon Sunstone.”

Historically, indigenous peoples in Oregon used sunstones as bartering goods. Across the pond, evidence shows Vikings decorated their burial sites with sunstones, and other cultural beliefs spread about sunstones containing the sun’s magical energy.

Today, sunstones are good luck charms that can relieve stress and bring out your true self. Unsurprisingly, these blissful gems are also zodiac stones for sun-ruled Leo!

Fire Opal

Fire opals are a variety of the amorphous hydrated silica gemstone opal, usually found in Mexico or Ethiopia. You may associate fire opals with vibrant fiery reds, but fire opals may also have yellow body tones. Some fire opals can even have all three colors in one!

Unlike most opals that are opaque, fire opals are translucent to transparent. Plus, these opals are the only variety you’ll find more commonly faceted than cut en cabochon. Mexican fire opals have vibrant colors but no play-of-color, while Ethiopia produces precious fire opals, meaning they have play-of-color.

Fire opals represent finding love and passion for yourself, others, and whatever makes you happy in life. These gems offer a sunny take on the traditional opal October birthstone and 14th wedding anniversary gemstone. Astrology enthusiasts born under Aquarius or Libra can also use fire opals as a good luck charm!

Yellow Calcite

Yellow calcite is a calcium carbonate mineral with hues of pastel yellow, lemon yellow, and golden yellow. Another calcite variety with yellow hues is honey calcite, though its coloring is closer to golden-brown than yellow. Yellow and brown hues come from iron oxide staining.

Yellow can also show up as a luminescent color in calcite through fluorescence, phosphorescence, and thermoluminescence, among other types of luminescence. Unfortunately, calcite only ranks at a 3 on the Mohs scale, so faceted pieces aren’t as common.

Energy healers use this light yellow crystal to balance the solar plexus chakra, which helps to reduce self-doubt, improve motivation, and channel psychic powers. This gemstone symbolizes enjoyment and acts as a zodiac stone for Sagittarius and Pisces signs.

Yellow Moonstone

Moonstone is a feldspar mineral known as a glowing white gemstone, but did you know it comes in other colors? Yellow moonstone displays golden-yellow to pinkish-yellow hues, including the yellow to pinkish-orange variety known as peach moonstone.

Inside moonstone gems are layers of orthoclase and albite. These layers create the signature blue to white adularescence, a soft glow appearing from within that resembles moonlight. Moonstones can also show chatoyancy and asterism, an optical effect in the shape of a four-ray star.

Like much of moon-related folklore, moonstones connect to divine femininity. Besides symbolizing feminine energies, moonstones can aid fertility and provide nurturing support to bring out your best. Yellow moonstones specifically can help you sleep soundly and avoid nightmares.

Called the “stone for women,” anyone who wants to embrace feminine strengths can benefit from moonstone. Those born under the Cancer zodiac sign can also enjoy yellow moonstone’s benefits.

Yellow Aventurine

Yellow aventurine is a chalcedony mineral (microcrystalline quartz) with various yellow hues caused by small amounts of mica, pyrite, and/or iron. The mica inclusions give the stone aventurescence, a glittering metallic effect seen in all aventurine gems.

Of all aventurine colors, yellow is among the rarest. In terms of energy healing, this gemstone balances the solar plexus chakra, inviting self-confidence and motivation.

Symbolically, yellow aventurine represents balance, serenity, and self-reflection. Crystal healers often use the stone to feel connected with the self and ease inflammation.

Finally, what is the most expensive yellow gemstone?

Yellow Diamond

The yellow diamond is the most expensive yellow gemstone. However, yellow is actually the most common, naturally found, and affordable colored diamond! Also called “fancy yellow” or “canary diamond,” these diamonds get their yellow hue from nitrogen present during the gem’s formation.

All diamonds symbolize enduring love, though yellow diamonds add to this by representing hope. As any married couple knows, sharing hope means you’re focused on the future, encouraging your commitment and happiness to last a lifetime.

One famous yellow diamond is the light greenish-yellow Florentine Diamond, a historic 137-ct. diamond discovered roughly 500 years ago that was passed among a legendary list of royal owners but hasn’t been seen since 1918.

Follow the Yellow Gem Road!

If you associate yellow with caution or illness, one look at one of these sparkling yellow gemstones will fill your thoughts with sunshine and bliss. Looking to fill your life with brightness and warmth?

If you want to harness the joyous power of the sun, get your favorite yellow gemstone today!