November birthstone: Topaz
Updated: Jul 19
Though the weather is turning dull and grey, November babies can rejoice in the rainbow of colours their November birthstone, topaz, offers. Did you know, though, that the popular ‘Swiss blue’ or ‘London blue‘ colour you’ll see in the jeweller’s shop window is almost always caused by heat treatment and doesn’t often occur naturally?
Occurring as a colourless stone as well as in shades of pink, purple, yellow, brown, orange, green and blue, Topaz is allochromatic. Allo-what? Well, allochromatic means that the colour variations are caused by impurities or defects in its chemical structure.
Topaz, is also pleochroic, which means that it will display different colours when its crystal structure is observed from different angles. This pleochroism is especially true of the pink to red topaz as seen in this GIA video.
Of all the colours, the most expensive is referred to as Imperial Topaz. This whisky-coloured stone with hints of pink is now mined in Brazil, but was originally mined in Russia’s Ural Mountains and named in honour of the Russian royal family.
At that time, Imperial Topaz was so prized that only the Russian royals were allowed to own it.
Topaz is so called because of a tiny island in the Red Sea. Now called Zabargad, in ancient times it was known as Topazios and famed for the gemstone…erm, peridot. Wait, what? Rather confusingly, the ancients thought that peridot and topaz were one and the same. It wasn’t until the early 18th century that topaz and peridot were distinguished from each other.
Topaz has gathered many legends over the centuries. The ancient Greeks associated it with strength, while later traditions linked it with wisdom and protection. These stories form part of the gemstone’s cultural history rather than scientifically established health benefits.
Photo credit: 17.01ct Brazilian Imperial Topaz and diamond bangle bracelet featuring bezel set Burma rubies on sides as accent gems. Bracelet is crafted in 18kt yellow gold and designed by Shelly Sergent for Somewhere In The Rainbow Collection. Crafted by Seam Ryan.
If you're considering sourcing a Topaz or similar gemstone and want guidance on quality, origin and ethical verification, I offer independent sourcing support for buyers. Learn more about sourcing support here.
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