Difference between yellow sapphire and its substitutes
There are gemstones that are almost similar in
colour, but their properties differ greatly. Because of similar colours, people
often get confused and the sellers use their confusion to their benefit by
tricking them. That's the case with Yellow sapphire, Citrine and Yellow Topaz.
These three gemstones are yellow and people are put in a state of a dilemma
because of that.
While looking for a rich yellow coloured
gemstone, you could buy citrine instead of yellow sapphire or yellow topaz
instead of yellow sapphire because of the confusion created by the same hue.
That's why understanding their differences is important.
Let's understand the differences that make these three gemstones different.
Hardness
Yellow sapphire's hardness on Moh's scale is 9.
Yellow topaz's hardness is 8 and Citrine gemstone has a hardness of 7. The
difference in the hardness of these three gemstones shows that Yellow Sapphire
is the hardest one. People who are looking for a durable yellow gemstone should
go for yellow sapphire.
Mineral
The family of minerals they belong to also
influences the appearance of gemstones greatly. The yellow sapphire gemstone is
a member of the Corundum family of gemstones. Citrine belongs to the Quartz
family, and the yellow topaz belongs to the topaz family.
Optic Properties
The optical properties of a gemstone determine
whether a gemstone is singly refractive(SR), doubly refractive(DR), or is an
aggregate. The optic character of the gemstone is determined by a device called
polariscope. The optic characteristics of citrine, yellow topaz and yellow
sapphire are DR uniaxial, DR biaxial and DR uniaxial respectively.
Refractive Index
The Refractive index is a measure of how much
light is slowed/bent as it passes through a material. The refractive index of
Citrine, Yellow Topaz and Yellow Sapphire is 1.544-1.553, 1.610-1.620 and
1.760-1.770 respectively.
Specific Gravity
The ratio of the density of gemstone to the
density of water determines the specific gravity of a gemstone. The specific
gravity of citrine, yellow topaz and yellow sapphire stands at 2.65, 3.52 and
4.00 respectively.
Precious and semi-precious
Most people want to own precious gemstones, but the similar colours make it difficult to differentiate between them. Always remember that yellow sapphire is a precious gemstone. On the other hand, Citrine and Yellow topaz belong to the semi-precious category.
Keep these differences in mind before purchasing
yellow sapphire and protect yourself from sellers who try to trick everyone at
the drop of a hat.