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Topaz

Introduction
 

“I am the colors of the sunset and of the sea. I am the enduring symbol of love and affection. Wear me and I will bring you friendship and ensure the fidelity of the one you love.”
	Known to the Ancient Egyptians as the “Gem of the Sun”, Topaz was believed to be colored by the golden glow of their sun god Ra, and thus a powerful protector from harm.
	While the golden yellow and blues of Topaz are the most widely known, Topaz actually comes in a diverse array of striking colors. This when combined with its beauty, durability and surprising affordability, makes Topaz Jewelry ideal for all occasions.
Legends & Lore

	Many ancient traditions and beliefs have created a brilliant history for Topaz.
	The Egyptians called Topaz the “Gem Of The Sun”, believing it was colored by the golden glow of their sun god Ra and was thus a powerful protector from harm.
	Greeks and Romans also associated the golden crystals with their Sun God, Jupiter. They believed the gem increased their strength and could neutralize enchantments.
	Bushmen in Africa used Topaz in healing ceremonies and rituals to connect with ancestral spirits.
	In medieval courts, Kings, judges and other noble persons were often presented with an engraved Topaz to win favor and cultivate positive relationships.
	At the height of Imperial Russia’s power, rich orange-pink Topaz gems were brought from Brazil to decorate the Jewelry of the Czarinas. Ever since, these colors have been known as Imperial Topaz and even today, remain one of the most sought after varieties.
	A Topaz powder ground into wine was believed to relieve asthma.
	Leaving a Topaz crystal in wine for three days produced an elixir that was used on the eyes to improve vision.
	Some once believed Topaz could make you invisible during moments of danger.
	Clear, terminated Topaz was referred to as an “Iris Stone” because of its double refractive qualities and the way its facets would project the light’s rainbow spectrum. If worn in a ring on the left hand, the gem was believed to restrain lustful desires.
	If you are on a journey of spiritual change, Topaz is believed by crystal healers to make an excellent companion. It apparently teaches you to trust in the Universe, aiding you to fully recognize the magical laws of attraction, increasing your ability to manipulate them.
	Topaz is believed to strengthen confidence, to help in making correct decisions and to give courage in following through on choices, thereby changing dreams into reality.
	Meditations with Topaz are believed by some to help awaken sleeping gifts and illuminate co-creative energies.
	Topaz is an inherently romantic gem, and features regularly in the titles of romance novels and honeymoon destinations. Its name indicates beauty, rarity and wealth, and also imparts a sense of timelessness.
	One of Hitchcock’s least celebrated thrillers was based on the best-selling novel by Leon Uris, and was called simply Topaz.
Just The Facts
	Topaz is one of the birthstones listed for November.
	Topaz comes in a wide array of colors including Pink, Blue, Yellow, Orange-Pink, Green, Blue-Green, White and even Bi-color.
	Today, Blue Topaz is the most popular color.
	The origin of the name Topaz stirs confusion. Some references point to the Sanskrit word “Tapas”, which means fire, while others believe it was named after Zebirget, an island in the Red Sea that the Greeks once called Tapazius.
	Topaz is responsible for other confusions. Weighing in at 1,680 Carats, the huge Braganza gemstone mounted into the Portuguese crown jewels was originally thought to be a Diamond; in fact it is a beautiful clear Topaz.
	Its unique crystal structure makes Topaz a hard and dense gemstone and because of this pure clear Topaz has often been mistaken for Diamond.
	Topaz is found around the globe in Australia, Brazil, Russia, Sri Lanka, Japan, Nigeria, Mozambique, Pakistan, Norway and China.
Blue Topaz
Blue and green are the rarest natural colors.   As well as the renowned Sky Blue Topaz, the more intense coloring of Swiss Blue and London Blue Topaz are also increasingly popular.   It is believed to work with the throat chakra allowing you to voice the perfect words for bringing your desires and dreams into reality.
	It is also believed to unite body, mind and spirit.
Imperial Topaz
Imperial, or Golden, Topaz is the second most common variety.   These gems often contain Chromium and are heated to bring out a rosy-red to pink hue in the gem.   Imperial Topaz is believed by some to be a gemstone of fire, burning with the energies of the Sun.   Imperial Topaz is also believed to replenish lost energy, stimulating the first three chakras, opening the crown.
White Topaz
Most Topaz is found in its purest form, clear. This is sometimes referred to as Silver or White Topaz.   It is believed to be the gem of confidence, helping stimulate natural gifts.   Pink Topaz
	Pink or Rose Topaz occurs naturally more often than the rare blues.
	It is believed to open the base chakra and balance the exhausting energies of passion and power. It is further believed by crystal healers that people who are quick to get angry will benefit from carrying a Pink Topaz as it can help control temper and channel anger into productive resolutions instead of fights.
Mystic Topaz (Including Red Topaz, Magenta Topaz, Pink Topaz, Flamingo Topaz, Twilight Topaz, Cornish Blue Topaz, Moonlight Topaz, Canary Topaz, Kiwi Topaz & Neptune Topaz)
Mystic Topaz (also known as “Mystic Fire Topaz”, “Rainbow Topaz”, “Titanium Topaz”, “Alaskan Topaz” and “Caribbean Topaz”) is one of this Century’s most beautiful new gemstones.   Mystic Topaz first appeared in September 1998 at the Hong Kong Jewelry Fair, but initially didn’t sell well and remained virtually unknown in the gem and jewelry industry. However, in 2003 Mystic Topaz markedly increased in popularity when it was exhibited at the AGTA Convention Center during the world’s biggest gem show held annually in Tucson, Arizona.
	Mystic Topaz is top quality natural White or Silver Topaz that is color enhanced by the application of a bonded layer coating of fine Titanium atoms. This coating process is known as Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). The process is covered by U.S. patent number 5,853,826 for Azotic Coating Technologies Inc. (Founded in 1993).
	When this oxide treatment falls within certain limits of thickness, the phenomena of optical interference produces colors that vary according to the thickness of the film, creating a flashing rainbow of iridescent colors across the surface of Mystic Topaz like light moving through a prism.
	The thin film coating applied to Mystic Topaz is quite hard and durable. While the treated layer is only microns in thickness (it is never deposited in thick layers), with normal wear the treatment is long lasting, permanent and stable.
	Mystic Topaz is popular primarily because it displays a wide variety of scintillating Celestial, Earthly and Oceanic hues all in one gemstone. The flaming colors of Mystic Topaz resemble Alexandrite, Ceylon Sapphire, Thai Sapphire, Thai Ruby, Pink Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire, Canary Diamond and many other popular gemstones. Please Note: The PVD process also produces a range of fantastic new colors including Red Topaz, Magenta Topaz, Pink Topaz, Flamingo Topaz, Twilight Topaz, Cornish Blue Topaz, Moonlight Topaz, Canary Topaz, Kiwi Topaz & Neptune Topaz.
	Mystic Topaz and its related color varieties ideally complements today’s fashion trends and are increasingly being used by well-known jewelry designers.
Glacier Topaz™
A unification of fire and ice, Glacier TopazTM mixes the pure clear whites of glacier ice with a fiery brilliance and luster reminiscent of Diamonds. Sourced from Russia’s frozen wildness, Glacier TopazTM is a stunning new gemstone exclusive to GEMSTV.   Mined from the same region as Russian Alexandrite and Siberian Emerald, Glacier TopazTM is yet another testament to the quality of Russian gemstones recently unearthed by our tireless Gem Hunters. Glacier TopazTM, arguably Topaz at its most pure, is never treated and only requires cutting and faceting to reveal its hidden beauty.
	Glacier TopazTM is mined at one location on the planet, the famous Murzinka mines (named after the Ostyak's Prince Murzin) of the Neiva River Valley in the Middle Urals, approximately 120 km North of Ekaterinburg.
	Ekaterinburg (or Yekaterinburg), the capital city of the Urals, was founded in 1723 by Tzar Peter the Great. While the city was originally named for Empress Catherine II, it was later renamed Sverdlovsk by the Soviets but has now reverted to its original name. Forming a natural border between Europe and Asia, Ekaterinburg is the historical and economic center of the Urals and since the early 19th Century Ekaterinburg has been the center of the Russian gemstone industry. To this day, Ekaterinburg is a draw for gemologists fascinated by the gem-rich Urals, and our Gem Hunters are certainly no exception.
	Active for well over a Century, the Murzinka mines produce some of the world’s finest Topaz, a gemstone for which Russia was once famous. While Brazil is today the recognized powerhouse for Topaz, Russian Topaz is relatively difficult to source, particularly with respect to the pure natural perfection embodied by Glacier TopazTM.
	Murzinka occurs in the center of the North-South trending Murzinka-Adui zone of the Ural Gemstone Belt. Known for over 300 years, the Ural Gemstone Belt only received its name at the beginning of the 20th Century in the works of Konstantin Konstantinovich Matveev, a founder of the Department of Mineralogy at the Ural Mining Institute.
	The miners work the deposits of the Murzinka granite pegmatite fields by tunneling up to 30 meters below the Earth’s surface in an effort to carefully extract Topaz crystals directly from the host rocks of the lucrative Mokrusha vein.
	While Topaz can constitute up to 10% of the Mokrusha vein, some sections only very rarely yield Topaz and others yield no gemstones at all. This makes for painstaking work, as only a very small percentage of all the Murzinka Topaz mined has the necessary purity to deserve the distinction of being called Glacier TopazTM.
	Interestingly, Murzinka is also the source of the famous Pobeda (or Victory) Blue Topaz Crystal on display at the Moscow Museum of Gemstones. Weighing over 40 kg, the Pobeda Topaz was named in honor of the 40th anniversary of Victory Day. Sergei Borschev collected the Pobeda Topaz at a depth of 28 meters in 1985. At one point during its extraction, the Topaz was poised to fall down the shaft but Sergei stopped its fall with his hand and mouth, losing several front teeth as result! This just goes to show the lengths Gem Hunters are prepared to go to unearth nature’s treasures.