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Yellow has always been a happy, positive color in the world of gemstones. With an increase in young couples opting for non-diamond engagement rings, yellow gemstones have come into favor.
But not all gemstones are created equal, which is why, even though you may love a stone, it might not be an ideal choice for your engagement ring.
Durability, price and appearance are three of the main factors to note when choosing your yellow gemstone. When it comes to yellow gemstones, there are really only two main options to go for. Let’s take a closer look.
What to Look for in a Yellow Gemstone for an Engagement Ring
Not every gemstone is made for daily wear and exposure. So, what do you need to look for in a gemstone for an engagement ring?
- Durability – Hardness and toughness in a gemstone is a must if you want the stone to remain lustrous and undamaged. In general, gemstones with a Mohs hardness rating of 8 to 8.5 and over is a good starting point. Soft gemstones will need to be polished or even replaced over time.
- Clarity – Good clarity means that your stone can sparkle without obstructions. It will also look beautiful in its setting with no flaws to distract from its beauty. While some inclusions can be desirable (jardin in emeralds and chatoyancy), gemstones with good clarity are the most sought-after.
- Availability – Some gemstones might be stunning and ideal but finding them could prove to be very difficult. This can include extremely rare gemstones and stones that are not in the mainstream.
- Value – This depends on your personal circumstances, but for most of us, the gemstone should also fit within our budget. Some stones might be perfect for us, but they’re just too expensive.
There are other factors to take into account, but in general, these four factors will filter out most of the stones that aren’t suitable for daily wear.
With that said, let’s now look at what yellow gemstones to choose and what to avoid.
Best Yellow Gemstones for Engagement Rings
1. Yellow Diamonds
Yellow diamonds tick all the boxes and are an ideal choice for an engagement ring. They’re extremely durable (Mohs 10), scratch resistant and tough.
Yellow diamonds hold up well under daily exposure and are easy to clean and keep sparkling. They’re also among the most affordable of all colored diamonds, and you could get a gorgeous yellow stone for the same price (or lower) of a colorless diamond.
Yellow diamonds are durable enough to be placed into any type of engagement ring setting.
When it comes to choosing metals, yellow diamonds are most striking set in silver-hued metals such as white gold or platinum. But pair them with yellow gold for a vintage, classic look. Remember that if a yellow center-stone is too much for you, you could consider yellow diamond accent stones.
Yellow diamonds also make unique birthstone gifts for April babies.
2. Yellow Sapphire
The next yellow gemstone we recommend is yellow sapphire. Sapphire is the third hardest gemstone used in jewelry at 9 on the Mohs scale (moissanite ranks 9.25 and ruby, which is basically red sapphire, is a 9).
What this means is that it is excellent for daily wear and like diamonds, is highly resistant to scratching, chipping and breakage. Although diamonds are harder than sapphires, sapphires are tougher than diamonds and less inclined to cleavage.
Yellow sapphires have a beautiful look to them and are more affordable than yellow diamonds. They come in a range of tones, from faint yellow to golden, honey hues.
Like yellow diamonds, these sapphires go well with white or yellow gold metals. They can be cut in all the popular gemstone shapes.
Yellow Gemstones that Can Be Risky for Engagement Rings
Apart from yellow sapphires and diamonds, there are many other yellow gemstones. But you’ll find that these aren’t the best options for engagement rings. Some are just risky.
These include yellow tourmaline, sphene, zircon, garnet, amber and golden pearls. While these are all beautiful gemstones in their own right, there is a high chance of these gemstones breaking and fading quickly, not something you want for a piece of jewelry you plan to wear frequently if not every day.
Having said that, you may be able to have a bespoke ring made for you that cleverly incorporates a favorite yellow gemstone into the design, for example, as accent stones.
Also, many people do choose softer gemstones for their engagement rings and manage to pull it off. So, there’s no harm trying. However, it can go either way – which is why we only recommend the above two options.
So the final verdict? It’s best to stay away from all yellow gemstones for your engagement ring apart from diamonds and sapphires if you want the best in durability, value, prestige, availability, and beauty.
Wrapping Up
If you’re looking for a yellow gemstone for your engagement ring, you have a lot of great choices to choose from. There are so many yellow gemstones out there – but, as we’ve already covered, not every gemstone will suit for an engagement ring.
When deciding on your gemstone, it’s best not to focus just on how the stone looks and how you feel about it, but also on how it will perform in the long run.
Considering other colored gemstones for your ring? Check out our articles on pink gemstones and blue gemstones for engagement rings.
