Description
Topaz is a transparent and one of the hardest gemstones. It takes its name from either the Sanskrit word
topas meaning 'fire', or from Topazios, an island in the Red
Sea formerly known in ancient times as Zeberget.
Topazios is the Greek word for 'to guess' and the island was given
this name because it was almost always
covered in fog and difficult to find. Pure topaz is colourless and is
known as Silver, Diamond or White Topaz. However, it also occurs naturally in a
range of colours from red through pink, orange, brown and beige and yellow
to green and ice blue. The most valuable colour is the deep cognac
'Imperial Topaz' and the most popular is any shade of blue.
Blue Topaz occurs naturally with an ice-blue colour, but is often irradiated to deepen the colour and white topaz is treated in the same way. 'Sky Blue Topaz', 'Swiss Blue Topaz' and 'London Blue Topaz' are trade names which refer to the depth of shade of the gemstone, with Sky Blue Topaz' being the palest and 'London Blue Topaz' being the deepest.
Pink Topaz occurs naturally, but in 1750 a Parisian jeweller discovered that the yellow Brazilian topaz becomes pink on exposure to moderate heat, and and nearly all the pink topaz used in jewellery today has been heat-treated. Such "burnt topaz" is often known as 'Brazilian Ruby'.
Natural Red Topaz is extremely rare and is also known as 'Brazilian Ruby'.
Mystic Topaz is an enhancement process whereby titanium is deposited only on the pavilion by Physical Vapor Deposition. The table and crown (face) of the stone is natural topaz and extremely resistant to scratching. The Mystic Topaz process is covered by strict U.S. patent filed by a company called Azotic, and they are the only legal manufacturer of Mystic Topaz. They are rigorous in pursuing any patent infringement.
The Science
Topaz is an aluminium silicate containing fluorine and is formed by fluorine-bearing vapours given
off during the last stages of the crystallization of igneous rocks.
8.0 on the Moh's Hardness Scale
Care and Cleaning
Soft polishing cloth, plain water rinse or mild solution of soap and
water
or jewellery cleaning solutions. Do not use ultrasonic cleaning or steam for topaz.
Topaz is brittle and can be cracked or shattered by sharp knocks.
History
Topaz has been used by man since the late Stone
Age. At a site of this age in the Urals, razor-sharp topaz plates used as
tools were found .
The Egyptians believed that topaz was coloured with the golden glow of the primary sun god Ra, which made Topaz a very powerful amulet for protecting his adherents against harm.
The Romans associated Topaz with Jupiter.
The Ancient Greeks believed that Topaz had the power to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of danger. They believed that it changed colour in the presence of poisoned food or drink and that its curative powers waxed and waned with the phases of the moon.
Topaz was one of the gemstones on the Breast Plate of Aaron. It was highly prized in the Eastern Roman Empire where it was used to decorate the walls of churches and palaces. When the Crusaders took Constantinople they took its great collection of Topaz back to their homelands.
St. Hildegard used Topaz in the 12th century to cure 'dimness of vision' by soaking the stone in wine and then rubbing it over the eyes. The 'impregnated' wine was also drunk, but this had to be done within five days to be efficacious. Some apothecaries ground Topaz up and added the powder to wine.
In Russia White Topaz was called Siberian Diamond, while 'Imperial Topaz' became so-called after it was used in jewellery owned by the Czarinas of the 18th and 19th centuries.
