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Color:
Cherry red, pink, salmon, champagne
and peach are the rarest and most
expensive. Blue results from irradiation.
Durability:
Very durable.
Localities:
Brazil is most noteworthy, but it is found in many locals.
Brown
or Champagne topaz is not a completely stable color
and may fade if constantly exposed to sunlight or strong
incandescent lighting. Champagne topaz is also properly
called smokey topaz, but I am hesitant to use the term
since smokey quartz is misrepresented as smokey topaz
more often than it is correctly represented....this
causes confusion. Be careful your seller is specific
in disclosing whether a brown stone he is selling is
topaz or quartz! |
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Topaz
Al2SiO4(FOH)2
Topaz
is an aluminum, hydroxyl-flourine silicate. Strong chemical
bonding makes it the hardest of the silicate minerals. A common
misconception is that all topaz is yellow. It is most commonly
colorless, but colors include blue, pale green, and the spectrum
of yellow through sherry orange to pink, and most unique,
red. Topaz was used in ancient Egypt and Rome, where it was
imported from Ceylon (Sri Lanka). During the Middle Ages topaz
was thought to strengthen the mind and prevent mental disorders
as well as sudden death. It has been considered a "cooling"
gem, much like ruby is considered
a "hot" gem. Topaz was thought to have the ability to quickly
cool boiling water and flaring tempers.
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