Topaz

[toh-paz]

BIRTHSTONE: November 

ORIGIN: Topaz can be found all over the world including the various areas including the Ural and Ilmen mountains of Russia, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Pakistan, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Brazil, Mexico; Flinders Island, Australia; Nigeria and the United States.

HISTORY: The name Topaz originated from the Greek name for a small island in the Red Sea, Topazios. Topaz has been known to signify many things; the ancient Greeks believed it gave them strength, the European’s believed it had the power to break spells and the Indians believed that it assured long life, beauty and intelligence.

FASHION: Topaz is one of the stronger gemstones and is great for everyday wear. It looks great with black, grey, white, and tan colored outfits; it adds a great punch of color. This gemstone is a perfect match for those that like a big look without a big expense.

FORMATION: Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminum and fluorine.

CLEANING & CARE: Topaz can be cleaned at home with warm, soapy water. Topaz should not be cleaned with steam or an ultrasonic cleaner. 

TREATMENTS: Colorless topaz is the most abundant and is often treated with radiation to give it a blue color.

MOH'S HARDNESS : 8.0 Scratch resistance through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer material.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 3.53 The relation between the density of any substance and the density of water.

REFRACTIVE INDEX:  1.619 - 1.627 The ratio of the velocity of light in a vacuum to its velocity in a specified medium.