All about Topaz
Topaz is a gem stone of many possible colors. You’ll find it in Clear (if no impurities), blue, brown, orange, gray, yellow, green, pink and reddish pink. Let’s learn a little more about this semi-precious gem stone.
Pure topaz is colorless and transparent but, like all gem stones, is usually tinted by impurities. Typical topaz is wine, yellow, pale gray or reddish-orange and blue brown. It can also be made white, pale green, blue, gold, pink, reddish-yellow or opaque to transparent/translucent. Orange topaz, also known as precious topaz, is the traditional November birthstone, the symbol of friendship, and the state gemstone for the US state of Utah.
Imperial topaz is yellow, pink or pink-orange. Brazilian Imperial Topaz can often have a bright yellow to deep golden brown hue, sometimes even violet. Many brown or pale topazes are treated to make them bright yellow, gold, pink or violet colored. Some imperial topaz stones can fade on exposure to sunlight for an extended period of time. Blue topaz is the US state Texas’ gemstone. Naturally occurring blue topaz is quite rare. Typically, colorless, gray or pale yellow and blue material is heat treated and irradiated to produce a more desired darker blue. Mystic topaz is colorless topaz which has been artificially coated giving it the desired rainbow effect.
Topaz is commonly associated with silicic igneous rocks of the granite and rhyolite type. It can also be found with fluorite and cassiterite in various areas including Ural and Ilmen mountains of Russia, in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Pakistan, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Flinders Island, Australia, Nigeria and the United States. Some clear topaz crystals from Brazilian pegmatites can reach boulder size and weigh hundreds of pounds. These won’t be found on a ring. Crystals of this size may be seen in museum collections.
The name ‘topaz’ comes from the ancient name of St. John’s Island in the Red Sea which was difficult to find and from which a yellow stone was mined in ancient times; topaz itself wasn’t really known about before the classical era. In the Middle Ages, the name topaz was used to refer to any yellow gemstone, but in modern times it denotes only the silicate described above. According to some, it is one of the gemstones which form the foundations of the twelve gates to the Holy City of the New Jerusalem. These so-called apocalyptic stones are intended to serve in protection against enemies and as a symbol of beauty and splendor. It cannot be proved conclusively whether the name of the topaz comes from the Sanskrit or the Greek, though the Greek name ‘topazos’ means ‘green gemstone’. The Romans dedicated the topaz to Jupiter.
The color in which the topaz is most commonly found is yellow. In the 18th century, it was mined in Germany during a period of over 60 years. However, most of the crystals were hardly a centimeter in diameter. You had to go to Siberia or Brazil to find crystals as large as your fist. The enormous and magnificent topaz from the Portuguese crown, the Braganza, was for a long time thought to be a diamond. It weighs 1680 ct.
In mysticism, the topaz is attributed with a cooling effect. It is said to dispel sadness, anger and nocturnal fears, to warn its wearer of poisons and protect him or her from sudden death. It is reputed to make men handsome and intelligent and sterile women fertile and happy. One should listen to these claims with caution, however. It was also claimed that you could immerse your hand in boiling water after a topaz had been thrown into it and retract it again unharmed. But Topaz, nevertheless, is still a magical stone.
