About Yellow Topaz
Yellow topaz is semiprecious gemstone that forms in orthorhombic crystals. It is the birthstone for November. Its name comes from Sanskrit and means "fire." The Egyptians believed that topaz stones were droplets of sunlight, and the Romans associated yellow topaz with the sun god Jupiter. Many cultures believed the stone contains the magic healing and illuminating energies of the sun, making topaz a perfect stone to light up dark November days.
Precious and Imperial
The yellow topaz has many hues, from barely colored "champagne topaz" to intense orange-brown "imperial topaz". As a jewelry gem, topaz is brilliant and durable with a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale. It is sometimes called the "sunset stone" because of its glorious range of colors from pale yellow to lemon to the deep russet orange of the sunset sky.
History
In Biblical history, topaz was one of the 12 stones set into the breastplate of Aaron, representing the tribe of Simeon. One very famous topaz is the Braganza, a giant topaz set in the crown of Portugal. It is so clear, it was originally thought to be a diamond. There is also an exquisite set of topaz in the Green Vault in Dresden, one of the important gem collections of the world.
Properties
Topaz, with its hardness of 8, is brittle and must be cut carefully, as it has a tendency to split along crystalline planes. It can fracture or develop flaws if dealt a strong blow. Its chemical formula is Al2SiO4(F,OH)2, its composition known as aluminum fluoro-hydroxyl-silicate. It is insoluble in acids. Most commercial topaz comes from Brazil, and can weigh hundreds of pounds. Excellent gems are also found in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. In the USA, yellow topaz is found most often in Colorado and Utah.
Birthstones
The wearing of birthstones dates from the 18th century and probably started in Poland before spreading throughout Europe. Yellow topaz was the original birthstone of November, although yellow citrine is now also recognized for this month.
Folklore
Egyptians wore yellow topaz as an amulet against injury. The ancient Greeks believed that yellow topaz increased a man's strength and could make the wearer invisible. The Romans endowed it with the power to improve eyesight. During the Middle Ages topaz was believed to be a healing stone for both physical and mental disorders. It was even thought to prevent death.
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