Blue Topaz

The beautiful cool blue of the sky is captured in Blue Topaz gemstones. This pastel blue gem is a designer favorite since it is affordable and available in a wide range of gem shapes and sizes. Its bright and lively color looks right set in both yellow and white metals. You'll find that this versatile gemstone complements almost everything in your wardrobe, from browns and grays to vivid tones.

Blue was once the rarest color of Topaz, but today it is the most common, thanks to a stable color enhancement process developed in the 1970s.

The popular icy pastel blue color is created by exposing colorless Topaz to irradiation and then heat. Lighter colors like Sky-Blue color are created by electrons and the darker blue known as London or Swiss Blue is created by exposure to neutrons. The process can take minutes or years, as high-energy processes require that the topaz is stored before it can be released safely.

The pale or colorless Topaz used in the process is mined in Brazil , Sri Lanka , Nigeria , and China . The gemstones are usually cut before they are treated.

Legend says that Topaz dispels enchantment. The ancient Greeks believed that a Topaz gemstone has the power to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of emergency. Topaz gemstones ewre also said to change color in the presence of poisoned food or drink.

In 1969, Blue Topaz was named the state gem of Texas to celebrate a small deposit of natural pale Blue Topaz that was found in the state.

Because Blue Topaz is readily available and affordable, it can be found in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, including unusual cuts. Large dramatic gems are readily available.

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.

Most topaz is clear (white) when it is mined.  Then it is treated by various methods to become a colored gemstone.  Swiss blue and london blue topaz is treated by radiation - sometimes taking years of a cooling period to complete before the gems are able to be handled.  A new process was developed by Azotic, a US-based science research company, to apply a durable coating to the pavilion (bottom) of the gemstone with optical properties to give the gem color.  The general name for this treatment is "mystic" and they have developed over six hundred colors of gemstones - the most popular are the mystic fire green, the pure pink, and the neptune garden.

Because these gems have a coating on the pavilion, they will appear different from the face versus the bottom angles.  The coating is semi-permanent - it can be damaged with harsh chemicals or ultrasonic cleaner.  The catch 22 is, untreated topaz shouldn't be handled with harsh chemicals or in an ultrasonic cleaner - so it is really about as permanent as any other topaz would be.  Topaz is an affordable gem, and makes a great natural stone alternative to more expensive counterparts.

Topaz is a gemstone of all colors, and its most valuable color is a golden orange-yellow, called "imperial topaz". Topaz is commonly thought of as a sky-blue gem, but it was not until this century that blue topaz became widespread on the gem market. Natural blue topaz with a deep hue is very uncommon in nature; colorless to light hued stones are heat-treated to achieve the blue color. Likewise, topaz rarely occurs naturally in pink; virtually all pink topaz is heat treated from yellow or brownish material.

Some topaz from Russian localities are notorious for fading upon prolonged exposure to light. Stones from these localities are undesirable as gems. One should always inquire about the origin of the topaz before buying it to make sure it will not fade.

Care and caution must be exercised with topaz gems, for its perfect cleavage may cause it to chip or form internal flaws if hit too hard. Topaz cutting also requires special practice for this reason.

USES

Topaz of all different colors are used in jewelry. The orange, pink, and blue colors are most often cut for gems, and colorless topaz is sometimes cut with the brilliant cut, resembling diamond. Topaz is sometimes found as enormous flawless crystals, and some gigantic gems and faceted spheres have been formed from them, making unique and exquisite gem pieces. Topaz is rarely cut into cabochons.

VARIETIES

On the gem market, topaz is usually classified by color. Below is a list of the color names designated for gem topaz:

• Pink Topaz
• Blue Topaz
• Brown Topaz
•  Green Topaz

Other names may be designated to certain types of topaz:

• Precious Topaz - used to distinguish topaz from cheaper fakes, such as citrine
•  Imperial Topaz - lustrous orange-yellow to orange-brown variety of topaz
•  Silver Topaz - colorless topaz
•  Sherry Topaz - orange-brown topaz
•  London Blue Topaz - deep blue topaz (the deepest blue form of topaz)
•  Swiss Blue Topaz - deep blue topaz (not as deep blue as London blue topaz)
•  Paraiba Topaz - sea-green topaz
•  Brazilian Aquamarine - False name given to aquamarine
•  Nerchinsk Aquamarine - False name given to aquamarine
•  Brazilian Ruby - False name given to pink topaz
•  Brazilian Sapphire - False name given to blue topaz (as well as blue tourmaline)
• Hyacinth is an orange-yellow to yellow-brown variety of topaz. Although the name hyacinth usually is used to describe a gem variety of zircon of that color, it is also occasionally used for topaz (in old manuscripts).
• Pyncite is occasionally used to describe a pale yellow topaz

FALSE NAMES

Citrine, a yellow to brown variety of quartz, closely resembles Topaz of that color. Unfortunately, unscrupulous dealers have adapted false name for Citrine so the unaware buyer thinks he is buying the more valuable Topaz. Any "Topaz" labeled with a prefix name (excluding those in the variety section of this page and the other names discussed below) is heat-treated Citrine. Some of the false names used are:

• Gold Topaz
•  Golden Topaz
•  Madeira Topaz
•  False Topaz
•  Brazilian Topaz
•  Bahia Topaz
•  Citrine Topaz

Several other false topaz names are:

• Brazilian Topaz - yellow to yellow-brown sapphire
•  Indian Topaz - yellow to yellow-brown sapphire
•  King Topaz - yellow to yellow-brown sapphire
•  Oriental Topaz - yellow to yellow-brown sapphire
•  Smoky Topaz - unscrupulous name for cut smoky quartz
•  Star Topaz - yellow star sapphire

SIMILAR GEMSTONES

Since topaz occurs in a great range of colors, it may resemble many other gemstones:

• Orange-brown and imperial topaz - citrine, zircon, chrysoberyl, golden beryl, orange-brown sapphire
• Pink topaz - morganite, tourmaline, kunzite, rose quartz, spinel
• Yellow topaz - chrysoberyl, heliodor, zircon, yellow sapphire
• Blue topaz - aquamarine, zircon, spinel, euclase
• Silver topaz - diamond, zircon, rock crystal, goshenite, danburite
• Green topaz - green beryl, tourmaline, peridot, hiddenite, green garnet

The beautiful cool blue of the sky is captured in blue topaz. This pastel blue gem is a designer favorite since it is affordable and available in a wide range of gem shapes and sizes. Its bright and lively color looks right set in both yellow and white metals. You'll find that this versatile gem complements almost everything in your wardrobe, from browns and grays to vivid tones.

Blue was once the rarest color of topaz, but today it is the most common, thanks to a stable color enhancement process developed in the 1970s.

The popular icy pastel blue color is created by exposing colorless topaz to irradiation and then heat. Lighter colors are created by electrons and the darker blue known as London or Super blue is created by exposure to neutrons. The process can take minutes or years, as high-energy processes require that the topaz is stored before it can be released safely.

The pale or colorless topaz used in the process is mined in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and China. The gems are usually cut before they are treated.

Legend says that topaz dispels enchantment. The ancient Greeks believed that topaz has the power to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of emergency. Topaz was also said to change color in the presence of poisoned food or drink.

In 1969, blue topaz was named the state gem of Texas to celebrate a small deposit of natural pale blue topaz that was found in the state.

Because blue topaz is readily available and affordable, it can be found in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, including unusual cuts. Large dramatic gems are readily available.

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.