The Many Beautiful Colors of Topaz

Topaz is a gem that has a long history of being associated with the sun. This is because the colors of a sunrise or sunset are captured in this gem. The Egyptians thought that wearing a topaz amulet or pendant provided protection from the sun god Ra to the wearer. The Romans associated topaz with the sun god Jupiter and felt that topaz was a powerful bringer of good fortune and positive events.

Historically, many cultures believed that wearing topaz allows you to have clear vision and thinking, and to ward off evil spells or enchantments. Historically, it was also believed to grant the user near-superhuman strength and abilities in emergency or crisis situations. In ancient times, topaz was worn by many nobles as it was believed to change color when in the presence of poison. They often wore it in rings and put their hands on their food or drink to see if it had gotten in the way. Topaz was also thought to gain strength with the phases of the moon, and was thought to cure some illnesses and conditions such as insomnia, respiratory problems, and some blood disorders.

In a more modern tradition, topaz is the birthstone for those born in the month of November. While it is a very hard stone, it can be split quite easily if struck at the correct angle.

colors

Topaz naturally comes in many different colors. The most recognized color of topaz is an amber or golden color, with reflections of peach, tan, brown, or shades of orange. A cognac topaz color is slightly darker than the amber shade and tends to have more brown highlights.

The largest topaz is the Braganza topaz. It is set in the Portuguese crown and was originally thought to be a large diamond. This topaz, although called white topaz, is actually colorless and is the most common type, found in China, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Nigeria, and India.

Pink topaz occurs naturally in Pakistan and Russia, and is occasionally found elsewhere. Pink topaz is usually pale pink in color; anything described as “hot pink” or “bright pink” is artificially treated or heated to produce the enhanced color. Heating a few shades of pink topaz will remove the orange color and leave behind a lavender colored gem.

Brown, red, dark pink, yellow, orange and sherry colored topazes are found naturally in Brazil and Sri Lanka. Warming and enhancing these different natural colors can lead to a wide variety of darker shades and truly unique colors.

Pale topaz can be irradiated in a laboratory to create blue topaz. The color of this gem is very pale to medium blue and is not a deep blue color. The pale topaz needed to make a blue topaz is found in Sri Lanka, China, Brazil, and Nigeria.

In 1998, gemologists began to refine the surface of pale topaz to create green topaz. This topaz ranges in color from a leaf green to an emerald green. Again, this is not a natural gem and requires surface enhancement to produce the color.