Why does elemental sulfur occur as a pale yellow solid?

Elemental sulfur occurs as a pale yellow solid primarily due to its allotropic nature and the specific way its atoms are organized into molecules and crystal structures.1

In its most common stable form, known as orthorhombic or $\alpha$-sulfur, the element consists of eight-membered ring molecules ($S_8$) packed into a crystalline lattice. The characteristic pale yellow color is a result of these specific molecular arrangements.12

Sulfur exhibits complex structural behavior; it can form various rings and chains, and its appearance changes significantly under different conditions. For instance, when sulfur is heated above its melting point, it initially appears as a yellow, transparent liquid. As the temperature increases further, the eight-membered rings rupture and join into long, complex chains, causing the liquid's color to deepen from yellow to dark red and eventually to black at approximately 250 °C (482 °F). These variations in color are directly linked to the changing molecular structure of the element.1