Utah State Gemstone
Topaz STATUS Official DESCRIPTION Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminum and fluorine. Its crystals are mostly prismatic. Topaz is the hardest silicate mineral and, after corundum and diamond, is one of the hardest minerals in nature. Pure topaz is colorless and transparent to opaque. However impurities cause this stone to occur naturally in many colors, including white, yellow, orange, brown, gray, light blue, greenish blue, and green, and is rarely pink, purple, or deep blue. Almost all pink and purple topaz on the market, as well as much of the deep blue topaz, has been irradiated and heat-treated from colorless, pale yellow, gray, or brown stones. Topaz from certain localities may turn colorless upon heating. Mystic topaz is colorless topaz that has been coated to achieve the desired rainbow effect. STATE SYMBOL Utah designated topaz as the official state gem in 1969. It is a semiprecious gem found in Beaver, Juab, and Tooele Counties. Small, perfect crystals are found in the Thomas Mountain Range in Juab County, Utah, which is a very popular area for rock collectors. Blue topaz is the official gemstone for the state of Texas. NAME ORIGIN The name for this gem comes from the Greek τοπάζιον (topazion), meaning "to seek," apparently in allusion to the island of Zabargad or Topasos in the Red Sea, Egypt. The island was an ancient source of peridot, which was once referred to as topaz. The name may also come from a Sanskrit word meaning "fire." FORMATION AND OCCURRENCE Topaz occurs in pegmatites of granite, in high-temperature quartz veins, and in vapor cavities in rhyolite lava flows like those at Topaz Mountain in western Utah. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION Because topaz is widespread, only a few localities producing the finest specimens are mentioned here. Russia, near Mursinka, Ural Mountains; Adun-Chilon and Borshchovochnoii Mountains, Nerchinsk district, Siberia Germany: Schneckenstein, Saxony China: Xilingeleimeng, Inner Mongolia Pakistan: Ghundao Hill, near Katlang, Mardan district; and Skardu and Gilgit districts Myanmar: Mogok district Japan: Tanokamiyama, Shiga Prefecture; and Naegi district, Gifu Prefecture Brazil: Ouro Preto and Virgem da Lapa, Minas Gerais United States: Devils Head, Douglas County, Colorado; Thomas Range, Juab County, Utah; Lord’s Hill, Stoneham, Oxford County, Maine; Baldface Mountain, Carroll County, New Hampshire; Ramona, San Diego County, California; Streeter, Mason County, Texas Mexico: Tepetate, San Luis Potosí Zimbabwe: St. Anne’s mine, Miami district Namibia: Klein Spitzkopje Mozambique: Alto Ligonha district Nigeria: Jos district FAMOUS EXAMPLES The most famous topaz is a colorless stone that was originally thought to be a diamond. It is a 1,680-carat gem known as the Braganza Diamond and forms part of the Portuguese Crown Jewels. Another well-known topaz is in the Grünes Gewölbe, or the "Green Vault," in Dresden, Germany, which has one of the world’s most important gem collections. The Smithsonian Institution, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the British Museum all display numerous outstanding rough or cut topaz specimens. USES All colors of topaz are fashioned into gemstones. The most valuable are those with pink to reddish tones and the yellow-brown or golden yellow variety, which are also called imperial because they were used in the jewelry of the 18th and 19th century Russian czarinas. The most common color is yellow with a red tint. The most popular and most affordable color is blue. Colorless topaz is sometimes cut as a brilliant to resemble diamond. The beautiful colors, high luster, and well-formed and multifaceted crystals make topaz an important mineral specimen. Gem collectors particularly prize topaz in the matrix. LEGEND/HEALING During the Middle Ages, topaz was thought to heal both physical and mental disorders and prevent death. Greeks believed it could make its wearer invisible, while the Romans believed it could improve eyesight. Egyptians believed topaz was the color of the mighty sun god Ra, and wore it to protect them from injury. This gemstone is said to have a cooling effect. It is believed to dispel sadness and anger, and also to warn its wearer of poisons and sudden death. Legend has it that it improves eyesight. BIRTHSTONE Orange or yellow topaz is the traditional November birthstone, and a symbol of friendship. Blue topaz is the traditional birthstone for those born in December. Topaz is also the stone for the zodiac sign of Sagittarius and the suggested anniversary gemstone for the fourth, 19th, or 23rd year of marriage. SUBSTITUTES / SYNTHETICS Citrine, a yellow-brown variety of quartz, closely resembles yellow-brown topaz. Unfortunately, unscrupulous dealers have created false names for citrine and sell it to buyers who think they are purchasing the more expensive and more valuable topaz. Much of the "topaz" labeled with a prefix name (such as gold topaz, Madeira topaz, false topaz, Brazilian topaz, bahia topaz, star topaz, Oriental topaz, Indian topaz, and citrine topaz) is actually heat-treated citrine. Exceptions to this are the gem varieties of topaz: imperial topaz, pink topaz, blue topaz, silver topaz (colorless), brown topaz, green topaz, Sherry topaz, London blue topaz (the deepest blue form of topaz), Swiss blue topaz, and Paraiba topaz.	Rose Topaz Crystal Striking Orange Topaz Isolated Topaz Stones Finished Topaz Gem Impressive Topaz Set in Amethyst TOPAZ FACTS Group: Silicate  Chemical Formula: Al2SiO4(F,OH)2 Crystal Structure:  Orthorhombic Hardness (Mohs): 8 Color: Clear (if no impurities), blue, brown, orange, gray, yellow, green, pink and reddish pink. Transparency: Transparent, translucent, sometimes opaque Luster: Vitreous Birefringence: δ = 0.010 Pleochroism: Weak in thick sections Refractive Index: nα = 1.606–1.629 nβ = 1.609–1.631 nγ = 1.616–1.638 Density: 3.49–3.57 Streak: White Cleavage: [001] Perfect Fracture: Conchoidal
	Some data courtesy of the Mineralogical Society of America Author: World Trade Press