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| Color |
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Precious topaz ranges
from golden and honey tones to brown to reddish
orange and rare pinks |
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| Gem Family |
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Topaz is a gem family
that includes the relatively rare precious topaz,
the coveted sherry-red to orange imperial topaz,
and the delicate pink topaz. However this gem family
is most well known for enhanced blue topaz, the
most affordable and available of gems. |
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| Source |
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Rare pastel pink topaz
is found in Pakistan and Russia. Imperial topaz,
a reddish-orange, sherry red to deep salmon pink,
is found in Brazil. Brown, yellow, peach, and orange
precious topaz is found in Brazil and Sri Lanka. |
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| Clarity |
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Ranges from no visible
inclusions to moderately included. |
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| Size Range |
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Precious topaz is available
from 0.5 to 5 carats. Pink topaz is available from
0.5 carats to 1.5 carats, with individual sizes
rare over three carats. |
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| Shapes Available |
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Precious topaz is most
often found in a scissors cut, a rectangular gem
cut with curved sides that has triangular facets.
Ovals, cushions, and emerald cuts are also available. |
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| Enhancement |
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Sometimes peach-colored
topaz can be "pinked" by gentle heating. Topaz is
sometimes heated at low temperature to remove yellow. |
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| Lore & History |
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The Egyptians said that
topaz was colored with the golden glow of the mighty
sun god Ra. This made topaz a very powerful amulet
that protected the faithful against harm. The Romans
associated topaz with Jupiter, who also is the god
of the sun. Topaz is the birthstone for those born
in the month of November. |
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| Toughness &
Hardness |
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Topaz has a hardness
of 8 on the Mohs scale and it is quite durable. |
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| Care & Cleaning |
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Topaz is a very hard
gemstone but it can be split with a single blow,
a trait it shares with diamond. As a result it should
be protected from hard knocks. Clean with mild dish
soap: use a toothbrush to scrub behind the stone
where dust can collect. |
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| Price Range |
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Topaz ranges from $150
to $950 per carat. Exceptional gems could easily
be more. |
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| Special Characteristics |
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Perhaps the most famous
topaz is a giant specimen set in the Portuguese
Crown, the Braganza, which was first thought to
be a diamond. There is also a beautiful topaz set
in the Green Vault in Dresden, one of the world's
important gem collections. |
