When consumers think of topaz, some consider the many different colors that are indigenous to this particular stone. When shopping for a topaz, you will be presented with an array of different colors, many consumers consider the topaz to not only be a birthstone for those born in the month of November but also there are those who are born in the month of December that will consider the blue topaz as their birthstone. Gemstones are known for coming in as many colors as you can sometimes find in a prism or rainbow. With that being said, the red topaz stone is considered to be the most valuable of all. However, there is quite a bit of credence that is attributed to the blue topaz as well. Because of the many different beliefs and customs that people will hold gemstones to, the topaz is not without its popularity.
When considering the many blue gem names, the blue topaz has been reserved as the gem awarded to married couples for the 4th and for their 23rd wedding anniversary. In times past, Grecians adhered to that fact that topaz would have the ability to increase the strength of an individual in times of trouble. And in the land of Portugal during the 17th century there was a colorless topaz that resided in the Portuguese crown and at the time was thought to be the largest diamond ever known to man…that was until it was properly identified as a topaz. There were other cultures that believed if a topaz stone had been set in a necklace and worn around the neck it would be empowered to drive away sadness and increase and strengthen the wearer’s intellect. Topaz can be mined in several different places around the world. For instance, as far as the European countries are concerned, these gems can be found in Russia and Germany as well as the African continent in the location of Zimbabwe and Nigeria.
However, the bulk of mining topaz stones can be attributed to Brazil. This particular gem boasts a rating of 8 on the Mohs hardness scale of 1 to 10, which indicates that this is a stone that can be worn often, if not daily, without the consumer worrying about any damage being done to the stone. There are also several ideologies of where the topaz stone has its origination.
The first being mythic of having its origination from a small island named Topazios that is located in the Red Sea. With that said, no one was ever known to find such a stone in that geographical area. But they were able to mine another stone called peridot, which is the birthstone for the month of August. Ironically, sometimes the two stones were confused with each other.
The second mythic was thought that the topaz began its roots in the word tapas, which means “fire” and originated from an ancient language that was spoken in India, and is the same language found in some of the Hindu archives. Pink topaz can be found in Russia. And in earlier centuries, its color was highly coveted but was restricted to be worn only by the royal family. Or those citizens that came by that color stone if it was a gift given to them by the Czar. So, if you are looking to purchase this stone for yourself or for a special occasion or even to give as a special gift to a friend or family member, it is good to know that this stone is appropriate for weddings and anniversaries. And it is also well associated with loyalty, friendship and faithfulness.