Topaz is a fluorine aluminum silicate and occurs in yellow, yellow-brown, honey-yellow, flax, brown, green, blue, light blue, red and pink ... and occasionally it doesn’t possess any color.
The topaz has been recognized no less than for 2000 years and is one of the gems which shape the basis of the twelve gateways to the Holy City of the New Jerusalem. These supposed prophetic minerals are planned to provide defense against foes and as an emblem of loveliness and magnificence. It cannot be confirmed decisively whether the name of the topaz originates from the Sanskrit or the Greek, although the Greek name 'topazos' denotes 'green gemstone'. The Romans devoted the topaz to Jupiter.

Topaz is crystallizes in the prismatic structure and its crystals are typically columnar ended by pyramidal and other flats, the basal pinacoid regularly being occurred. It has a simple and great basal cleavage, implying that gems or other fine patterns must to be dealt with caution to prevent from rising cleavage blemishes. The breakage is conchoidal to not smooth. Topaz possesses a hardness of 8, a specific gravity of 3.4-3.6, and a vitriform luster. Pure topaz is crystal clear but is frequently slightly colored by inclusions; classic topaz is garnet or daffodil. They may also be white, gray, green, blue, pink or vermilion-yellow and clear or semi-transparent. When the stone is being heated, yellow topaz regularly grows incarnadine-pink. Topaz can also be radiation-exposed, making the stone blue, varying from a light clear color to incredibly dark roughly electric blue. A recent tendency in jewels is the production of topaz patterns that demonstrate rainbow colors, by utilizing a slight stratum of titanium oxide via physical vapor deposition.

Topaz is frequently related with siliceous volcanogenic rocks of the granite and rhyolite variety. It naturally crystallizes in granite pegmatites or in evaporation hollows in rhyolite lava streams like those at Topaz Mountain in western Utah. It may be discovered with fluorite and cassiterite. It can occur in the Ural and Ilmen mountains, Afghanistan, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Pakistan, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States.

The largest topaz crystal ever discovered - called "El Dorado" - was revealed in Brazil in 1984. Its weight is approximately 6.2 kg and it pertains to the British Royal Collection.
In religious studies, the topaz is known for its chilling effect, styptic and orexigenic essence. It is believed to chase away sorrow, annoyance and nightmares, to caution its holder about venoms and defend him or her from unexpected death. It is supposed to make men handsome and clever and sterile women fruitful and cheerful. Nevertheless, it is perhaps better not to trust too much to its miraculous effect, because it was stated besides that you could submerge your hand in boiling water after a topaz had been flung into it and withdraw it again uninjured! Topaz is the gemstone of the month November.

In the Empire fashion, the topaz was still prevalent, but at that time the more convincingly valued citrine was adopted as it and even accroached its name - gold topaz. But then, the topaz has been a relatively exotic form in the precious jewelry commerce, and has acquired the other predicate 'pure' to demystify that the topaz, not the quartz topaz, is represented. And it is still expecting for its glowing rightful return to this day.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• Color is pure, yellow, red, orange, green and blue.
• Luster is unconquerable to glassy.
• Diaphaneity: crystals are clear to semi-transparent.
• Crystal System is prismatic; 2/m 2/m 2/m
• Crystal Habits comprise a prismatic crystal with typically two unlike prisms that construct a roundish or pointed diamond-contoured transection. The ending is naturally covered by a cupola shaping a roof like top. An additional cupola can alter the ending creating a point at the junction of the two cupolas. A basal pinacoid can smooth the prisms ending or cut the top of the cupolas. The pinacoid, numerous cupolas and irregularly orthorhombic pyramid faces can manufacture a compound, multifaceted and well shaped ending. Topaz can be grainy and enormous.
• Cleavage is ideal in one vector, basal.
• Fracture is conchoidal.
• Hardness is estimated at 8.
• Specific Gravity is roughly 3.4 - 3.5+ (above average)
• Related Minerals comprise quartz, tourmalines, micas, brookite, cassiterite and fluorite.
• Special Characteristics: refraction index is 1.61 - 1.64. Prism faces may be striped longitudinal.
• Important Occurrences comprise Minas Gerias, Brazil; Pakistan; San Diego Co, California; Ural Mountains, Russia; Mexico and the Thomas Range, Utah.
• Major Field Signs are crystal habit, color, solidity and hardness.