:Topaz and its properties and uses
Topaz is an aluminum silicate that contains fluorine and hydroxyl
It is colorless (white) in its purest form
Impurities are considered as the distinguishing factor of color
:The history of the use of topaz
Topaz has a history that goes back two thousand years
The use of topaz dates back to the time of the Egyptians when the ancientEgyptiansbelieved that the yellow topaz gets its golden light from the happy god
Some believe that topaz is a medieval word that comes from the French word Topac and the Latin Topazus, which is actually the name of an island in the Red Sea where the ancient Greeks mined topaz
The name of this island in Greek means to search
Maybe the reason is that it was difficult to find this island in the fog
This island is known as the island of Zabargad or St. John and it is said that the gems mined by the ancient Greeks were actually chrysolite
Old Christian books mention topaz, but this gemstone may be chrysolite rather than topaz
The word topaz is derived from the Sanskrit word tapas which means fire
:Identification of topaz
According to its hardness, topaz can be distinguished from diamond, ruby, sapphire, citrine, apatite, braziliant, zircon, fluorite, kunzite, tourmaline and orthoclase
According to the shape of the right rhombic crystals, it is distinguished from the blue emerald
Phenakite can be distinguished from topaz based on its triangular crystal structure
Topaz has a lower density and a different chemical structure than yellow beryl, and yellow beryl usually has no night vision, while topaz has a little night vision, and this differentiates the two
Precious beryl can be considered instead of topaz, but its fissibility is not known, while topaz is completely fissile
Other gemstones may also be known as topaz, such as Madeira topaz, western topaz, Palmyra topaz, Rio topaz, safranite topaz, Scottish topaz, smoky topaz, and Spanish topaz
However, in most cases these stones are citrine quartz, with the exception of smoky topaz, which is smoky quartz
Indian topaz, king topaz and star topaz are all actually sapphires
Diamond has a hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale, so it is different from white topaz
Topaz is softer than ruby and sapphire because both have a hardness of 9. Topaz is also multi-colored
:Topaz: origin and sources
Topaz reserves are located in Brazil, Afghanistan, Australia, Myanmar, China, Germany, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and the United States
Natural blue topaz is found in Northern Ireland and England
Many topazes have also been seen in Brazil and Ukraine
:topaz color
Topaz ranges from colorless (white) to yellow, orange, red-brown, light to dark blue, pink to red, purple and light green
That is why it is possible to identify it as other gemstones
Naturally, colored topaz gets its color from iron and chromium, impurities cause color,
:while pure topaz is colorless
Most pure topazes are colorless or pale blue
The rarest and most valuable topaz is yellow or pink and reddish orange, which is called royal topaz or precious topaz.
Some yellowish-brown topazes gradually become opaque when exposed to sunlight. Red and purple topaz are very rare.
:Clarity and brilliance of topaz
Topaz ranges from clear to translucent
It is very bright with some imperfections, so it can be examined with a non-flat eye
Topaz is very popular because of its luster and glassy clarity
:Topaz cut and shape
Topaz is a very flexible material
Therefore, it can be cut into different shapes such as square, circle, oval, pear, heart and even shapes like fish or bird
Bold gemstones usually have sharp cuts, while lighter stones have brilliant cuts.The cuts show the transparency of the stone. When the topaz has an irregular roughness, it is cut in the form of a cut
Its hardness makes it scratch resistant
However, gem cutters must work carefully with topaz because it is highly fissile and shatters very quickly
:Preparation of topaz
Topaz is usually optimized to match the desired colors
The most popular color of topaz is blue, but in nature, blue topaz is usually pale blue rather than deep blue
Brilliant blue topaz is often created artificially
Topaz is irradiated and then heated, so it turns into a brilliant blue color
Refined blue topaz is called London blue, medium blue is called Swiss blue, and light blue is called sky blue
This method is performed on blue-grey and silver-blue stones
The darker the blue, the more valuable the stone is because the more energy it takes to create the darker colors
Orange-brown topaz is heated until it turns pink-purple
These procedures are perfectly acceptable because the change in color is permanent, however, the buyer must be told before the sale
There are rules regarding the exchange of irradiated gemstones to ensure the safety of the buyer and seller
Naturally pink topaz is very rare and has been found in Pakistan
You can create a layer on topaz with titanium dioxide vapor and change its color
Coating is not permanent and fades gradually
Stones supplied with this method should not be re-cut as the coating will be removed and the less than beautiful original color will be exposed
Cladding the stones creates magical topaz
Azotic topaz is the same white topaz that has been turned into rainbow colors by plating
Topaz also forms the pink layer and makes royal topaz
White topaz can be exposed to chemicals and heat to change its surface color
This method is used to make green topaz, but it only changes the color of the surface, so if it is cut, the inner color will be revealed
:Gemological characteristics of topaz
Chemical formula: Al2SiO4 (F, OH)2 fluoride containing aluminum silicate
Crystal structure: rhomboid, prismatic with many sides, usually octagonal
Color: colorless, yellow, orange, red-brown, light to dark blue, pink-red, red, purple, light green
Hardness: 8 on the Mohs scale
Refractive index: 1.609-1.643
Density: 3.49-3.57
Cleavage: Excellent
Luster: transparent to semi-transparent
Birefringence: 0.008 to 0.016
Transparency: Glass
Night vision: Under long UV wavelengths, white and blue have a weak yellow or greenish glow, brown, pink and yellow can have a strong yellow-orange glow, red has a weak yellow-brown glow
:related or similar gemstones
Topaz can be similar in color to other gemstones
In fact, the ancient Greeks thought that chrysolite was the same as topaz
Orange-brown and royal topaz is similar to citrine, zircon, yellow beryl, golden beryl and sapphire
Pink topaz is like morganite, tourmaline, kunzite, red quartz and Lal Badakhshan
Yellow topaz can be compared with yellow beryl, heliodor, zircon and yellow ruby
Blue topaz is like blue emerald, zircon, Lal Badakhshan and Euclaz
White topaz has similar properties to diamond, zircon, rock crystal and goshnite
Topaz is chemically related to sillimanite, andalusite, kanonite, kyanite and mullite
