Topaz comes in many
colors such as blue, yellow, pink, brown, green and clear. Orange-red
"Imperial" topaz is rare. Topaz has a hardness of 8.
As with all gems, protect topaz from scratches and sharp blows. Also avoid
large temperature changes (such as leaving it be a heater vent or in a hot
car). Do not clean topaz in a home ultrasonic cleaner. The best way to clean
topaz is warm soapy water.
Clear topaz is commonly irradiated and heat treated to become other colors
such as blue. Yellow and brown topaz is often heat treated to become pink
topaz. Natural pink topaz is rare.
Reputable dealers
will not use the following misleading terms. However, for your protection, I
am listing them here:
"Bohemian Topaz",
"Madeira Topaz" and "Occidental topaz" are really yellow quartz (also
known as citrine).
"Nevada topaz" is
really smoky obsidian.
"Spanish topaz"
is really orange-brown quartz.
 Topaz is the
November birthstone
Topaz is found in
Africa, Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Sri Lanka, Russia,
Topaz is well known to
be yellow, and in ancient times all yellow stones were called topaz.
Nowadays we know better.
Topaz can also be colorless, blue, green, pink, orange or brown.
In the last 10 years or so, jewelers' windows have become filled with blue
topaz, which is very attractive and inexpensive, and has to some extent
become a substitute for Ceylon sapphire. Blue topaz does occur naturally,
but almost all commercially available blue topaz is produced from less
attractive colors which are irradiated and heat treated to turn them blue.
This treatment produces a stable color, and normally the stones are not
radioactive when they are released on the market, although there have been
cases where stones with an unsafe level of radiation have been sold.
There are distinct hues of blue topaz, which we presume arise because of the
different treatments. The most usual colors are known as "London Blue",
"Swiss Blue" and "Sky Blue", we have listed these in order from the deepest
to the palest colors.
Blue is a color that has fascinated mankind for many hundred years. It
probably has something to do with the blue sky and deep blue oceans given to
us by mother nature. Blue Topaz Gemstones are another example of how blue
color impresses fashion conscious jewelry lovers. Topaz gemstones are
available in a range of blue shades, starting with the very pale sky blue
topaz, moving on the the more pronounced and brighter blues of swiss
blue topaz and finally the deep blue color of London blue topaz
gems.
 The
name "topaz" is thought to be derived from the Sankrit word tapas
meaning fire. However, more likely, it probably derived its name from the
Island of Topazos, in the Red Sea.
Fine Gems & Jewelry From Around the World.
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