Topaz

Golden Topaz (sometimes termed Precious Topaz)  comes in yellow, yellow-gold, honey-yellow, golden and occasionally pink. The term "Precious" Topaz was originally used to distinguish yellow and gold topaz from other gems such as some Citrines and Smoky Quartzes which had erroneously been referred to in the past as "Maderia Topaz` and "Smoky Topaz". Most Precious Topaz still comes from Brazil. The hue and saturation of color is the primary determiner of value in this variety, in general the more pink or red mixed in with the yellow or orange the higher the value. At the top end of value comes what is called "Imperial Topaz" which is generally characterized by an intense sherry or pink/sherry hue.  This is extremely rare and even ordinary Golden Topaz is becoming harder  to find.  Sometimes the Brazilian miners will work for months without finding anything worth cutting. Most Precious Topaz is native cut in Brazil, so custom cuts are strong value enhancers.

Topaz has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale so is a durable stone however, like any crystalline gem, care should always be taken in its use. It is generally regarded as the birthstone for November although many use Citrine as an alternative.

Topaz has been known for at least 2000 years and is one of the gemstones which form the foundations of the twelve gates to the Holy City of the New Jerusalem. These so-called apocalyptic stones are intended to serve in protection against enemies and as a symbol of beauty and splendor.  It is said that Topaz is useful for protecting the wearer from injury and also wearing Topaz will attract love.