About
Topaz is a hard and durable gemstone, and will not dissolve in most chemical solvents. However, it does have perfect cleavage which can make it prone to chipping or forming flaws if banged hard. Topaz is also a pleochroic gemstone and can have varied color intensity when viewed at different angles. Due to its good cleavage and pleocroic nature, care must be exercised when faceting Topaz gemstones.
Blue Topaz does occur in nature, but is rare and almost always lightly color. Most if not all blue Topaz used in jewelry has been irradiated and heat treated to artificially create the blue color. The original stones are colorless or lightly colored, and the radiation process gives them their deep sky-blue colors. In a few rare circumstances, some forms of blue Topaz tend to slightly fade in exposure to sunlight after extended periods of time.
Uses
Topaz is the traditional birthstone for November.
Varieties
✓ common · ✗ uncommon
- Azotic Topaz— Orange-pink Topaz with a rainbow-like color effect. Its color is synthetically colored by film deposition of an extremely thin metallic layer over the top of the gemstone. Azotic Topaz is named by the company that introduced this, Azotic®.
- Imperial Topaz— Lustrous golden orange-yellow, orange-brown, or orange-pink variety of Topaz and is its most valuable gem form.
- London Blue Topaz— Topaz with a deep sky-blue color. It is darker in tone than Swiss Blue Topaz.
- Mystic Topaz— Multicolored Topaz with a rainbow-like color effect. Its color is synthetically colored by film deposition of an extremely thin metallic layer over the top of the gemstone.
- Rutilated Topaz— Topaz with yellow needle-like inclusions of the mineral Limonite. Rutile Topaz is very similar in appearance to Rutilated Quartz, hence the name Rutile Topaz. However, the name is a misnomer, since unlike Rutilated Quartz which has inclusions of the mineral Rutile, the inclusions of Rutile Topaz are not Rutile but rather Limonite.
- Sherry Topaz— Topaz with a light orange-brown to brownish-pink color.
- Silver Topaz— Colorless form of Topaz. Synonym of White Topaz.
- Swiss Blue Topaz— Topaz with a sky-blue color. It is lighter in tone than London Blue Topaz.
- White Topaz— Colorless form of Topaz.
False Names
Bahia Topaz - False name for Citrine.
Brazilian Topaz - May refer to Topaz from Brazil, but is often a false name for Citrine.
Citrine Topaz - False name for Citrine.
Gold Topaz - False name for Citrine.
False Topaz - False name for Citrine.
Indian Topaz - Yellow to orange Sapphire.
King Topaz - Yellow to orange Sapphire.
Madeira Topaz - False name for Citrine.
Oriental Topaz - Yellow to orange Sapphire.
Smoky Topaz - Dark brown Smoky Quartz.
Spanish Topaz - False name for Citrine.
Star Topaz - Yellow Star Sapphire.
Topaz Quartz - False name for Citrine.
Treatments & Enhancements
The colorful Mystic Topaz and Azotic Topaz are synthetically treated to produce their rainbow/multicolored effect using film deposition. The process involves bonding an extremely thin metallic film layer over the top of the gemstone, so that the interesting color effects are reflected from the crown.
Sources
Similar Gemstones
Orange-brown and Imperial Topaz - Citrine, Zircon, Chrysoberyl, Golden Beryl, Sapphire.
Pink Topaz - Morganite, Tourmaline, Kunzite, Rose Quartz, Spinel
Yellow Topaz - Chrysoberyl, Heliodor, Zircon, Yellow Sapphire
Blue Topaz - Aquamarine, Zircon, Spinel, Euclase
White Topaz - Diamond, Zircon, Rock Crystal, Goshenite