Stone 101
Harder than quartz, yet it can split clean along one plane. Imperial topaz glows gold.
Topaz comes clear, golden, pink and blue. Here you'll mostly find imperial topaz specimens in warm golden tones, plus a pendant and a big display piece.
Shop Topaz by shape
The basics
Topaz is a silicate mineral made with aluminium and fluorine. It grows in granite and cooling rock pockets, sometimes into huge crystals.
Pure topaz is clear. Traces of other elements give it colour. Imperial topaz is the golden orange to pinkish kind, and Brazil's Ouro Preto area is famous for it.
Rituals, not rules
These are traditions people enjoy, not promises. Pick the one you keep coming back to.
Care
Straight talk
Most blue topaz on the market starts clear and is irradiated, then heated, to turn blue. Mystic topaz is clear topaz with a thin rainbow coating. Imperial topaz is sometimes heated to turn pink. Citrine and smoky quartz used to be sold as "topaz" too. TRS names any treated or coated piece in the title.
Good questions
Topaz is traditionally linked with warmth, generosity and good fortune. Its golden colour is a big part of why. Most people pick it because it glows in the light.
Mystic topaz is clear topaz with a very thin coating that makes a rainbow shimmer. The topaz is real, the colour is added, and the coating can wear off with rough use.
Yes. Topaz and citrine are the November birthstones. Golden topaz is the traditional pick.
Real topaz is hard and heavy for its size. Most blue topaz is irradiated, which is normal for blue topaz. Glass and quartz are the common look-alikes, and a gemologist can confirm it.
