The yellow sapphire is a gemstone used in jewelry all across the world, known for its beautiful golden hue mixed with brilliant luster. In what could be compared with a drop from the sun, this gemstone comes from the corundum family. Corundum, which is basically the crystal form of Aluminum oxide, is one of the hardest minerals giving it a 9 on the Mohs scale just behind diamonds which are on the top of the scale.

Yellow sapphire gets its beautiful color due to the trace element iron. The quantity of this trace element increases or decreases the intensity of the yellow. Sapphires take millions of years to form in the earths crust and then transported to the surface through igneous rocks, however sapphires can also be found in metamorphic rocks too.

Yellow sapphires are naturally formed in many shades of yellow, however this sapphire is sometimes heated to enhance its color. This is a widely accepted practice both by sellers and buyers but as a customer its always good to be informed, so just make sure to get a certificate indicating whether heat treatment has taken place or not. There should be a price difference, with a heated yellow sapphire being cheaper than a similar non heated yellow sapphire. Overall I have no problem with heat treatment, but many people who purchase yellow sapphires especially for its energetic properties prefer it not to be heated. Believe it or not, according to South Asian cultures this gemstone is considered to be a stone that brings its wearer abundance and wealth.

I hope this brief intro into the world of yellow sapphires has piqued your interest. I hope to write more about gemstones over the coming months, please get in touch at info@mimgems if you would be interested in learning more or are looking for your own yellow sapphire.