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Yellow Rocks, Minerals & Gemstones

Found a yellow rock and want a name for it? This guide lists all 110 yellow rocks, minerals and gemstones in the StoneSnap database, from common finds like Tiger's Eye, Pyrite, and Ametrine to collector specimens.

Color alone rarely identifies a specimen, so start with luster (73 glassy, 16 waxy, silky or pearly, 14 metallic, and 7 dull or earthy in this list), then check hardness with a scratch test and streak color. Each card links to a full identification guide with tests, look-alikes and value.

Also browse:Black rocksWhite rocksGray rocksBrown rocksGreen rocksPink rocksRed rocksBlue rocksPurple rocksOrange rocksClear rocksMulticolored rocks

Metallic yellow rocks (14)

Pyrite specimen: brass yellow and pale gold mineralPyriteMohs 6.5 · metallic · commonAstrophyllite specimen: golden-yellow and bronze mineralAstrophylliteMohs 3–3.5 · Vitreous to pearly/submetallic sheen · commonBrass specimen: yellow gold and brass yellow metalBrassMohs 3.5 · metallic · commonChalcopyrite specimen: brass yellow and golden yellow mineralChalcopyriteMohs 3.5–4 · Metallic · commonGold specimen: gold and yellow mineralGoldMohs 2.5 · metallic · legendaryMarcasite specimen: pale brass yellow and tin white mineralMarcasiteMohs 6 · metallic · commonRose Gold specimen: rose gold and pink gold metalRose GoldMohs 3 · metallic · commonAura Quartz specimen: iridescent and blue materialAura QuartzMohs 7 · metallic · commonArsenopyrite specimen: silver-white and steel-gray mineralArsenopyriteMohs 5.5–6 · Metallic · commonBismuth specimen: silvery white and pinkish iridescent tarnish (yellow, red, blue hues) mineralBismuthMohs 2–2.5 · Metallic · commonBronze specimen: brown and bronze metalBronzeMohs 3 · metallic · commonCassiterite specimen: brown and black mineralCassiteriteMohs 6–7 · Adamantine to submetallic · commonNickel specimen: silver and gray metalNickelMohs 4 · metallic · commonWhite Gold specimen: white silver and pale gold metalWhite GoldMohs 3 · metallic · common

Glassy yellow rocks (73)

Citrine specimen: yellow and orange crystalCitrineMohs 7 · vitreous · uncommonPeridot specimen: yellow-green and olive green gemstonePeridotMohs 6.5 · vitreous · uncommonAmetrine specimen: purple and yellow bicolor zoning mineralAmetrineMohs 7 · Vitreous · commonAndradite specimen: yellow-green (demantoid) and brown mineralAndraditeMohs 6.5–7 · Vitreous to resinous/adamantine · commonChrysoberyl specimen: yellow and greenish-yellow mineralChrysoberylMohs 8.5 · Vitreous · commonForsterite specimen: pale yellow-green and olive green mineralForsteriteMohs 6.5–7 · Vitreous · commonSiderite specimen: yellowish brown and brown mineralSideriteMohs 4 · vitreous · commonDiamond specimen: colorless and yellow gemstoneDiamondMohs 10 · adamantine · legendaryEmerald specimen: green and bluish green gemstoneEmeraldMohs 7.5 · vitreous · legendarySapphire specimen: blue and pink gemstoneSapphireMohs 9 · adamantine · rareLabradorite specimen: gray and blue flash mineralLabradoriteMohs 6 · vitreous · commonLapis Lazuli specimen: deep blue and blue mineralLapis LazuliMohs 5.5 · vitreous · uncommonRainbow Obsidian specimen: black with rainbow sheen and purple igneous rockRainbow ObsidianMohs 5.5 · vitreous · uncommonFluorite specimen: purple and green mineralFluoriteMohs 4 · vitreous · commonTopaz specimen: colorless and blue gemstoneTopazMohs 8 · vitreous · uncommonJasper specimen: red and yellow mineralJasperMohs 7 · vitreous · commonOpalite specimen: milky white and blue materialOpaliteMohs 5.5 · vitreous · commonZircon specimen: colorless and blue gemstoneZirconMohs 7.5 · adamantine · uncommonGoldstone specimen: copper and brown materialGoldstoneMohs 5.5 · vitreous · commonCalcite specimen: colorless and white mineralCalciteMohs 3 · vitreous · commonAlabaster specimen: white and cream mineralAlabasterMohs 1.5–2 · Vitreous (crystalline); waxy to dull (massive) · commonApatite specimen: green and blue mineralApatiteMohs 5 · Vitreous to subresinous · commonApophyllite specimen: colorless and white mineralApophylliteMohs 4.5–5 · Vitreous, pearly on cleavage · commonAragonite specimen: colorless and white mineralAragoniteMohs 3.5–4 · Vitreous to resinous · commonAxinite specimen: clove-brown and violet-brown mineralAxiniteMohs 6.5–7 · Vitreous · commonBaryte specimen: colorless and white mineralBaryteMohs 3–3.5 · Vitreous, pearly on cleavage · commonBeryl specimen: green (emerald) and blue (aquamarine) mineralBerylMohs 7.5–8 · Vitreous · commonBrucite specimen: white and pale green mineralBruciteMohs 2.5 · vitreous · uncommonChabazite specimen: white and colorless mineralChabaziteMohs 4–5 · Vitreous · commonColemanite specimen: colorless and white mineralColemaniteMohs 4–4.5 · Vitreous, adamantine on cleavage faces · commonCordierite specimen: blue and violet-blue mineralCordieriteMohs 7–7.5 · Vitreous · commonCorundum specimen: red (ruby) and blue (sapphire) mineralCorundumMohs 9 · Adamantine to vitreous · commonDanburite specimen: colorless and pale yellow mineralDanburiteMohs 7–7.5 · Vitreous · commonDatolite specimen: colorless and white mineralDatoliteMohs 5–5.5 · Vitreous, slightly greasy · commonDiaspore specimen: colorless and white mineralDiasporeMohs 6.5–7 · Vitreous to pearly on cleavage · commonDolomite specimen: white and gray sedimentary rockDolomiteMohs 3.5–4 · Vitreous to dull · commonDunite specimen: olive green and yellowish green igneous rockDuniteMohs 6.5–7 · Vitreous (olivine grains) · commonEpidote specimen: pistachio green and yellowish green mineralEpidoteMohs 6–7 · Vitreous · commonEudialyte specimen: red and pink mineralEudialyteMohs 5–5.5 · Vitreous to greasy · commonGoethite specimen: brown and yellowish brown mineralGoethiteMohs 5–5.5 · Adamantine to dull/earthy, silky · commonGrossular specimen: colorless and green mineralGrossularMohs 6.5–7.5 · Vitreous to resinous · commonGypsum specimen: colorless and white mineralGypsumMohs 2 · Vitreous, pearly, or silky (fibrous), earthy when massive · commonHemimorphite specimen: white and colorless mineralHemimorphiteMohs 4.5–5 · Vitreous, silky when fibrous · commonHessonite specimen: orange-brown and cinnamon mineralHessoniteMohs 6.5–7 · Vitreous to resinous · commonHeulandite specimen: white and colorless mineralHeulanditeMohs 3.5–4 · Vitreous, pearly on cleavage · commonJadeite specimen: green and white gemstoneJadeiteMohs 6.75 · vitreous · rareKimberlite specimen: blue-gray ('blue ground') and yellow ('yellow ground', weathered) igneous rockKimberliteMohs 5–6.5 · Dull to vitreous · commonLeucite specimen: white and gray mineralLeuciteMohs 5.75 · vitreous · uncommonMagnesite specimen: white and gray mineralMagnesiteMohs 4 · vitreous · commonNatrolite specimen: colorless and white mineralNatroliteMohs 5.5 · vitreous · uncommonNepheline specimen: colorless and white mineralNephelineMohs 6 · vitreous · uncommonOlivine specimen: olive green and yellowish green mineralOlivineMohs 6.5–7 · Vitreous · commonOrthoclase specimen: colorless and white mineralOrthoclaseMohs 6 · vitreous · commonPeridotite specimen: green and dark green igneous rockPeridotiteMohs 5.5–7 · Vitreous (olivine and pyroxene grains) · commonPrasiolite specimen: green and pale green gemstonePrasioliteMohs 7 · vitreous · uncommonPrehnite specimen: green and yellow-green mineralPrehniteMohs 6.25 · vitreous · uncommonPumice specimen: white and light gray igneous rockPumiceMohs 5–6 · Dull to glassy · commonQuartz specimen: colorless and white crystalQuartzMohs 7 · Vitreous, greasy on fracture surfaces · commonQuartzite specimen: white and gray metamorphic rockQuartziteMohs 7 · Vitreous to sugary/granular · commonRutile specimen: reddish brown and black mineralRutileMohs 6.5 · adamantine · commonScapolite specimen: white and pink mineralScapoliteMohs 6 · vitreous · uncommonSchist specimen: silver-gray and golden (mica-rich) metamorphic rockSchistMohs 2.5–7 · Vitreous to silky/glittery (mica-rich) · commonSillimanite specimen: white and gray mineralSillimaniteMohs 7 · vitreous · uncommonSmithsonite specimen: blue green and green mineralSmithsoniteMohs 4.5 · vitreous · uncommonSpessartine specimen: orange and red mineralSpessartineMohs 7 · vitreous · uncommonSpodumene specimen: pink and lilac mineralSpodumeneMohs 6.75 · vitreous · uncommonStilbite specimen: white and pink mineralStilbiteMohs 3.75 · vitreous · commonSugilite specimen: purple and violet mineralSugiliteMohs 6 · vitreous · rareSunstone specimen: orange and red gemstoneSunstoneMohs 6.5 · vitreous · uncommonTitanite specimen: green and yellow mineralTitaniteMohs 5.5 · adamantine · uncommonVesuvianite specimen: green and brown mineralVesuvianiteMohs 6.5 · vitreous · uncommonWavellite specimen: green and yellow mineralWavelliteMohs 3.75 · vitreous · uncommonWulfenite specimen: orange and yellow mineralWulfeniteMohs 3 · adamantine · uncommon

Waxy, silky or pearly yellow rocks (16)

Amber specimen: yellow and orange gemstoneAmberMohs 2.5 · resinous · uncommonTiger's Eye specimen: golden brown and yellow mineralTiger's EyeMohs 7 · silky · commonMookaite specimen: yellow and red sedimentary rockMookaiteMohs 6.5 · waxy · uncommonMimetite specimen: yellow and orange mineralMimetiteMohs 3.75 · resinous · uncommonOrpiment specimen: lemon yellow and golden yellow mineralOrpimentMohs 1.75 · resinous · uncommonSulfur specimen: yellow and bright yellow mineralSulfurMohs 2 · resinous · commonPearl specimen: white and cream gemstonePearlMohs 3 · pearly · uncommonFire Agate specimen: brown and orange mineralFire AgateMohs 7 · waxy · uncommonPhlogopite specimen: brown and yellow mineralPhlogopiteMohs 2.75 · pearly · commonPyromorphite specimen: green and yellow-green mineralPyromorphiteMohs 3.75 · resinous · uncommonPyrophyllite specimen: white and gray mineralPyrophylliteMohs 1.5 · pearly · commonSerpentine specimen: green and yellowish green mineralSerpentineMohs 3.5 · greasy · commonSerpentinite specimen: green and dark green metamorphic rockSerpentiniteMohs 2.5–4 · Greasy, waxy, silky · commonSphalerite specimen: brown and black mineralSphaleriteMohs 3.75 · resinous · commonVanadinite specimen: red and orange mineralVanadiniteMohs 3 · resinous · uncommonVariscite specimen: green and blue-green mineralVarisciteMohs 4 · waxy · uncommon

Dull or earthy yellow rocks (7)

Limonite specimen: yellowish brown and brown mineralLimoniteMohs 4.5 · earthy · commonSandstone specimen: tan and brown sedimentary rockSandstoneMohs 6 · dull · commonLimestone specimen: white and gray sedimentary rockLimestoneMohs 3 · dull · commonLaterite specimen: red and orange sedimentary rockLateriteMohs 4 · dull · commonBauxite specimen: reddish brown and tan mineralBauxiteMohs 1–3 · Dull, earthy; slight luster on pisoliths · commonChalk specimen: white and pale gray sedimentary rockChalkMohs 1–2 · Dull, earthy · commonKaolinite specimen: white and cream mineralKaoliniteMohs 2 · earthy · common

Frequently asked questions

What is a yellow shiny rock most likely to be?

Shiny yellow rocks are usually Tiger's Eye, Pyrite, Ametrine, and Andradite. Check whether the shine is metallic or glassy, then test hardness against glass to narrow it further.

How do I identify a yellow rock at home?

Rinse it, look at the luster and grain under good light, scratch it against glass and a steel knife to bracket its Mohs hardness, and rub it on unglazed porcelain to see the streak color. Compare the results with the yellow candidates on this page, or scan it with the StoneSnap app for an instant match.

Are yellow rocks valuable?

Most yellow rocks are common and worth a few dollars as specimens, but gem-grade material such as Diamond, Emerald, and Sapphire can be worth far more. Each page lists a typical value range.

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