Topaz Lore and History

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Topaz

topaz custom jewelry llyn strong fine art jewelry

10CT STRAW TOPAZ

A sterling silver pendant featuring one bezel set square shaped straw topaz on a 16 inch silver chain.  This necklace was designed and made by Sydney Strong.

 

Topaz is an aluminum silicate containing fluorine and has a chemical formula of Al2(F,OH)2SiO4. It is formed by fluorine-bearing vapours given off during the last stages of the crystallization of igneous rocks. It typically occurs in cavities in rhyolites and granite, in pegmatite dikes, and in high-temperature veins. Often associated with cassiterite, topaz may be useful to indicate the presence of that tin ore.

Topaz actually has an exceptionally wide color range that, besides brown, includes various tones and saturations of blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink, and purple. Colorless topaz is plentiful, and is often treated to give it a blue color. Topaz is also pleochroic, meaning that the gem can show different colors in different crystal directions.

Topaz Lore

Most authorities agree that the name topaz comes from Topazios, the old Greek name for a small island in the Red Sea, now called Zabargad. (The island never produced topaz, but it was once a source of peridot, which was confused with topaz before the development of modern mineralogy.) Some scholars trace the origin back to Sanskrit (an ancient language of India) and the word topas or tapaz, meaning “fire.”The ancient Greeks believed that topaz gave them strength. In Europe during the Renaissance (the period from the 1300s to the 1600s) people thought that topaz could break magic spells and dispel anger. For centuries, many people in India have believed that topaz worn above the heart assures long life, beauty, and intelligence.

topaz custom jewelry llyn strong fine art jewelry

16.99CT STRAW TOPAZ

An oxidized sterling silver and 18k yellow gold pendant bezel set with a rectangular straw
topaz 12.99 carats with a bar frame. This necklace was designed and made by Sydney Strong.

 

Topaz History

The name for imperial topaz originated in nineteenth-century Russia. At the time, the Ural Mountains were topaz’s leading source, and the pink gemstone mined there was named to honor the Russian czar. Ownership of the gem was restricted to the royal family.Today, topaz is one of the US birthstones for November. The other is citrine quartz.
Sources – https://www.gia.edu/topaz-history-lore
https://www.britannica.com/science/topaz

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