Yellow stones - prices

[Cave Keeper]

Can someone kindly provide a rough guide for yellow stones of 5 to 6 carats, say.

Also, if possible, their relative rarity, please.

I''m interested in the following kinds of yellow stones:-

1. Yellow Tourmaline (is Golden Tourmaline a different stone?)
2. Yellow Zircon (is there such a color for Zircon?)
3. Yellow Spinel (is there such a color for Spinel?)
4. Yellow Jade (what kind of Jade is it?)
5. Yellow Sapphire (is Golden Sapphire a different stone?)
6. Yellow Opal (if there''s such a stone)
7. Yellow Beryl (is this different from Golden Beryl?)
8. Yellow Chrysoberyl
9. Yellow Topaz (is this regarded as a form of Imperial Topaz?)
10. Yellow Citrine (is this different from Golden Citrine?)

Have I missed out any other yellow stone?

 

[valeria101]

Date: 8/23/2005 9:44:55 AM
Author:Cave Keeper

1. Yellow Tourmaline (is Golden Tourmaline a different stone?)

'Yellow tourmaline' became famous with the appearance of some very bright stones from Malawi some years ago. Think 'Paraiba' - this sort of yellows were thought to be sold off like that Brazillian type is. See THESE. The types have in common the startling quality of their strong colors - I am not sure if cmpeting bright yellow tourmaline has been found ever since. But you may find yellow tourmaline that is not like that for one reason or another - usually thereason is light and tinted color (just like the case of the expensive chrome green that also needs to meed color standards, not just have the right chemistry).
'Golden' is bronwish or some other tinge. I don't think it is all that appreciated for tourmaline. Each stone meets its own standard I am affraid.

That kind of yellow ($1200/ct) and the usual 'golden' brown thing ($30/ct)


Ajs listed something liek this - Nigerian, they say. I wish I knew more. This one does not come with a description. Small ones are still around for whoever might be curious enough.

2. Yellow Zircon (is there such a color for Zircon?)

Yes sir. They are great! A bit brownish, most of the time, but there are some yellow enough and the brighteness of the material helps.



3. Yellow Spinel (is there such a color for Spinel?)

Nope. It doesn't. Not that I haven't seen light brown or somethng called 'yellow spinel' - I am not sure the stones were spinel afterwards.


4. Yellow Jade (what kind of Jade is it?)

Yeah... there is yellow jade. A rusty yellow. It is jadeite. The color is frequently died in (as any other desirable jade color). The very bright yellow is most likely died.


5. Yellow Sapphire (is Golden Sapphire a different stone?)

Oh well... 'golden' is a brownish orage-yellow of sorts and since it is not 'yellow' the stones are different, of course.
Again, you get different fads for different colors. As far as I know, bright yellow and a wiskey color (sometimes called 'Mekong sapphire') are the more prized. But that is always a matter of where and by whom - as usual.


6. Yellow Opal (if there's such a stone)

Yes. There is yellow Mexican opal. I don't know if these have play of color at all. Usually not. They are not the most expensive - red would be for the same species.


7. Yellow Beryl (is this different from Golden Beryl?)

Again, both are out there and the color makes a difference. No need to ask if 'golden' is different than yellow.
perhaps strong yellow beryl is possible - at least if the stones are large. 'Golden' is just a lesser priced brownish kind. I have seen beautiful orage-yellow beryl once though and one might want to call that 'golden'.


8. Yellow Chrysoberyl

Maybe... not really. It is always greenish or brownish or 'golden' as you put it. Perhaps the cats eye kind gets more convincingly yellow, but the same issue applies. These guys come in their own colors.


9. Yellow Topaz (is this regarded as a form of Imperial Topaz?)

Not sure what kind of animal this is. Orange and brownish yes. Yellow like a yellow crayon... not that I know of.


10. Yellow Citrine (is this different from Golden Citrine?)

Yeah, citrine comes easily anywhere from greenish to orage-yellow and gets a convincingly yellow inbetween. They are nice and cheap. Most of the time syntetic, but not all the time. The only way to tell is to know the seller. At least that holds for me because I would have no idea where to start looking for clues unless there is something blatant about the piece. I would think that the orageish colors are nicer and more popular anyway. yellow gets washed out because saturation is not that great - as much as I cna tell.

Not sure what to add (unless writing a yellow book). I would not bother telling 'yellow' from 'golden'. The second may be sometimes used as a commercial name but it still remains a sort of yellow with a tinge. And the same object could be described as 'yellow' or 'golden' (to avoid 'brownigh' = bad, or 'orange-ish' = confusing) depending on the seller's mood.

Perhaps calling something 'golden yellow' takes the safe bet - the thing looks nice and the name fits either preconceived requirement (see this).

I don't think there are strict rules about the commercial names, but i may be more popular to ask for 'yellow' so any shade close to that falls within this larger category. At least for sapphire and citrine and beryl. The other sorts of stones are allot less talked about.