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Topaz Overview
Home » Jewelry » Topaz » Topaz OverviewBecause the Egyptians believed that topaz was colored with the golden glow of the mighty sun god Ra, this made the gemstone a very powerful amulet that protected the faithful against destruction. The Romans associated topaz with Jupiter, who is also known as the god of the sun.
Even though there is some uncertainty regarding the name, some say it comes from the Sanskrit word meaning fire and others link it to the Red Sea Island of Topazios, known as St. John’s Island. For the everyday owner topaz means a yellow gem. Citrine and smoky quartz have been sold as golden topaz and smoky topaz. The terms imperial and precious topaz are often used to distinguish between a true topaz and a quartz look-alike.
The imperial topaz name is said to have originated in the 19th century in Russia, where the Ural Mountain mine were an important source. The pink topaz that was mined from those mines was restricted to the royal family of the Czar.
The imperial topaz term is now used for pink, orange and red topaz, which mainly comes from Quro Preto, Brazil. Fine pink topaz also comes from the Katlang area of Pakistan.
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