Best topaz restyle for weddings5/6/2023 However, there is some disagreement among gem traders over what colors should be classified as imperial topaz. Red topaz crystal on display at the Natural History Museum, London, England. They make up less than half a percent of all gem-quality topazes found. These medium reddish orange to orange-red gems are incredibly rare and valuable. Reddish topazes have a trade name, imperial topaz, inspired by their association with the Russian Czars. Most topazes are known simply by their color - yellow topaz, blue topaz, etc. Producers of blue topaz include Brazil, Zimbabwe, and, in the United States, Texas. London Blue tends to be more expensive than other blue colors.īlue topazes do occur naturally. These gems vary in price from $1-$27 per carat. Licensed under CC By-SA 3.0.īlue topaz is the most well-known and affordable type of topaz. As the name implies, Sky Blues show pale blue colors and may somewhat resemble aquamarines in hue and tone. Swiss Blues show a highly saturated greenish blue. Popular blue varieties include “London Blue,” “Swiss Blue,” and “Sky Blue.” London Blues have a dark steel blue or grayish blue color. You can confidently assume all blue topazes you’ll find for sale are irradiated. (Some of these treated gems may have to “cool” for a year before jewelry use, but they should be safe when sold). This treatment is usually stable, permanent, and impossible to detect, since natural blue topaz undergoes similar exposures underground, only over the course of millions of years. Since the 1960s, a two-step heat and radiation laboratory treatment has been used to turn these stones vivid greenish blue. Most blue topazes on the market today started out colorless or pale blue. Champagne-colored topaz, 20 x 15 mm, Brazil. Yellow topaz ranges in price from $20 to $80 per carat. Yellow quartz or citrine is sometimes misidentified as topaz, although topaz is harder as well as brighter - and more expensive. This connection between yellow and topaz persists even today. However, yellow became the color most strongly associated with topaz, inspiring symbolic connections to wealth because of its golden appearance This included many stones that gemologists now consider members of the topaz species, as well as stones from different gem species, such as quartz and zircon. Traditional Yellowīefore the 20th century and the development of modern gemology, people referred to yellow, brown, and orange stones as topaz. 9.4 x 7.5 x 5.0 cm, Trick or Treat Pocket, Zapot pegmatite, Gillis Range, Fitting District, Mineral Co., Nevada, USA. This green topaz crystal fluoresces golden yellow. Some topazes can display luminescent colors. Protective ring settings, like a bezel, should keep the stone safe from knocks, and a skilled jeweler can position prongs so they don’t place stress on the cleavage plane. However, once the gem is set it should be relatively safe. As a result, gem cutters and jewelers must take special care when faceting, polishing, and setting the stone. One hard knock could split the stone cleanly. It has perfect cleavage, which means there’s a plane within the gem where it can crack. They even count as birthstones for two months: yellow topaz for November and blue topaz for December! Two American states also claim them as official gemstones: topaz for Utah and blue topaz for Texas. These qualities, combined with its diverse range of colors as well as prices, make them excellent choices for jewelry. They can also take a high polish, perfect for a spectacular ring stone. With a Mohs hardness of 8, topazes have great resistance to scratching. 6 mm baby pink topaz center stone and 2 mm aquamarine accents in a flower-and-stars motif ring. Learn how to choose a topaz engagement ring stone that’s right for you. These are only a few of the colors these gems can show. Rare and valuable, imperial topazes can range from reddish orange to pink. Nowadays, blue probably ranks as the most well-known (and inexpensive) topaz color. Traditionally, topaz was favored as a golden yellow stone. Rarely does a gemstone have popular associations with multiple colors.
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