Stone Mania

There is some uncertainty over where the name topaz originated from.  Some say it comes from the Sanskrit word meaning 'fire' while others link it to the Red Sea Island of Topazios (Zabargad or St. John's Island) where peridot has been found.

Basically topaz means 'a yellow gem' and you can be certain that plenty of citrine and smoky quartz  has been incorrectly sold as golden topaz and smoky topaz.  The terms imperial and precious topaz are now often used to distinguish between real topaz and the quartz look-a-likes.

Contrary to popular belief, many varieties of topaz are heat treated (but not all) in order to obtain the colour of choice.  The most popular colour is blue and the lightest which is known as sky blue, is quite readily available.  The deeper swiss blue is a little rarer with london Blue being the rarest.  The fine golden yellow coloured variety which is known as imperial topaz is relatively scarce and the most valuable is pink topaz.

In crystal healing, topaz is known as "the stone of true love and success in all endeavours".  It can promote individuality and creativity whilst providing for confidence in trusting ones decisions.  It is also said to replace negativity with love and joyfulness. 

The largest topaz crystal named El Dorado was found in Brazil in 1984.  It weighs 6.2 kg and belongs to the British Royal Collection.  The most famous topaz is the giant Braganza diamond in the Portuguese crown which was as its name suggests, first thought to be a diamond.

Topaz is a hard gemstone and hence has been used for centuries in jewellery.  It was one of the stones in the breastplate of the high priest.  Topaz is the birthstone for the month of November along with citrine.  Blue topaz is considered one of the birthstones for the month of December.  It is also the anniversary gemstone for the 4th year of marriage.

The Minas Gerais area of Brazil is the most important supplier of topaz but it can also be found in many other locations worldwide.

Topaz has a vitreous lustre and is graded 8 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness.

The following links offer further reading on Topaz

http://www.gemologyonline.com/topaz.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topaz
http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/topaz.html
http://www.gemstoneeducation.com/Topaz.htm