TOPAZ is the birthstone for November and is believed to come from the Sanskrit word meaning 'fire'. Topaz occurs in a wide range of colours including red, orange, peach, pink, gold, yellow, brown and clear.
It is typically found in huge and flawless crystals, which can be faceted into giant gemstones which can weigh thousands of carats. Some of the largest gemstone pieces ever cut were of Topaz.
Topaz is a hard and durable gemstone, suitable for all jewellery, however, it does have perfect cleavage which can make it prone to chipping or forming flaws if banged hard.
Details of the Topaz Gemstones shown above (Clockwise from top left):
GOLDEN TOPAZ: Golden brown to yellow in colour and is often confused with the less valuable citrine.
PINK TOPAZ : Pink or red topaz gets its colour from the presence of chromium - the same element that makes rubies red.
RUTILATED WHITE TOPAZ: Topaz with yellow needle-like inclusions of the mineral Limonite. It should be noted that these inclusions within Topaz are rare.
TOPAZ AND BIXBYITE: Topaz growing with Bixbyite - a rare mineral formed of isometric crystals, which give the appearance of highly modified cubes.
BLUE TOPAZ: Blue Topaz does occur in nature, but is rare and almost always light in colour. Most if not all blue Topaz used in jewellery has been irradiated and heat treated to artificially create the blue colour.
IMPERIAL TOPAZ : The highly prized “imperial topaz” - an intense golden to reddish-orange colour found primarily in Brazil.
For more information:
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