Do you love topaz? It’s one of the most popular gemstones, known for it’s auburn aura. But actually, topaz is a colorless and transparent gem, but becomes tinted by impurities that give it its famous color.

In fact, the bright orange color of most topaz led the ancient Egyptians (who first discovered topaz years ago) to believe that the stone came from the Sun God, Ra. In fact, Egyptians also believed that people who wore the stone were protected from evil spirits. The ancient Greeks also admired the stone and gave the stone the name "Topaz."

But not just the color of the sun, the Topaz stone consists of the precious metals aluminum and fluorine. These metals give the topaz stone its shine. Pure topaz presents in various colors. The color of a typical stone ranges from yellow, green, blue, pink, brown and amber to light red.

The range of color in topaz makes the gem a great addition to a pendant, necklace or bracelet.  Sometime topaz can form a smoky quartz with inclusions of rutile. The rutile needles form lovely patterns like miniature sculptures in the topaz. Every stone is quite unique and they have become very popular for jewelry over the last few years.

Recently we had an opportunity to buy some rutile topaz, a similar looking gem with the added attraction of topaz's additional hardness and better brilliance.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) published an article in their journal some years ago (Gems & Gemology, Summer 1987) that explored this difference. The needle-like inclusions in so-called rutile topaz is actually consist of limonite staining that fills hollow tubes in the topaz. In fact rutile is not known to crystallize at all in topaz in a ribbon-like form that would produce effects similar to those in rutile quartz. In that way, the name rutile topaz is not correct. 

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Eagle National Mint If you are seeking topaz, or any other fine gemstone or collectible coin or jewelry, there is no better place to start that shopping online at Eagle National Mint. Their selection of alexandrite and service is second to none.

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