Blue Topaz Luxury Jewlery
Topaz is a very popular semi-precious gemstone that is commonly used in a wide range of luxury jewelry. The name “topaz” comes for a variety of Old Latin and Greek words, all referring to the blue color or the color of the sea. The word topaz in Sanskrit has the meaning of “heat” or “fire”, and it is also related to the Hebrew word for the fruit orange.
Color and Sizes
Topaz comes in many different shades and hues and some have been known to reach boulder size and weigh hundreds of pounds. Some of these massive chunks of raw natural gemstone can be seen in museums and national archives and collections. The Topaz of Aurangzeb, allegedly seen by Jean Baptiste Tavernier was thought to have been measured at 157.75 carats. The American Golden Topaz tipped the scales and set records with a massive 22,892.5 carats.
Where Topaz Comes From
Pure topaz in its natural form is colorless and transparent. The colored shades come when the stone is tinted by impurities. Common colors for topaz include wine, yellow, smoky gray, red, orange, blue, brown, white, gold, pink green, or a clear opaque. Blue topaz is the state gemstone of the US state of Texas. This semi-precious gemstone, used in many topaz rings and jewelry can be found within the Ural mountains of Russia, in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Pakistan, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Flinders Island, Australia, Nigeria and in the United States.
Topaz in Today’s Market
In America today, Blue Topaz ranks as one of the best selling semi-precious gemstones for luxury topaz jewelry. Blue Topaz has three principal shades which are typically referred to as ‘Sky Blue’, ‘Swiss Blue’ and ‘London Blue.’ Most blue topaz is actually natural clear stone that is treated so it holds a blue shade. Naturally occurring blue topaz is quite rare. However, the term treated does nothing to downplay the beauty and value of this stone and Blue Topaz makes for stunning pieces of luxury jewelry.