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.