All About Topaz: The November Birthstone
The primary birthstone for November is a gem called topaz.
The Origins and Cultural Significance of Topaz
The word topaz is said to come from the Ancient Greek word topázos, which refers to a yellow rock that was said to come only from a small island called St. John’s Island in the Red Sea. The stone was thought by the Ancient Greeks to bring strength, to break magic spells, and to dispel anger. The English thought the stone cured lunacy. In India, topaz worn above the heart assures long life, beauty, and intelligence. The stone was also treated as sacred by African shamans, who would use it in their healing rituals.
Different colors of topaz, including green, blue, yellow, white, and pink topaz
There is also a special kind of topaz that is mined from the Russian Ural Mountains—this type, called imperial topaz in honor of the czar, has a rare, pinkish-orange hue and wasn’t allowed to be owned and worn by anyone other than the royal family. As the Ural Mountains were the leading source of topaz during the 19th century, this lent the stone a measure of prestige.
Historically, there was a lot of confusion about topaz, especially as the word topaz was often used to describe just any yellow stone during the Middle Ages. Now, the word refers specifically to this silicate mineral species.
As for where topaz can be mined, Brazil is one of the largest producers of the stone, and it can also be found in countries like Russia, Sri Lanka, Norway, Pakistan, Mexico, Australia, and the United States.
Notable Topaz
The American Golden Topaz is the largest cut yellow topaz on record, weighing in at a stunning 22,892.5 carats. This golden giant was mined in Minas Gerais, Brazil—one of the richest sources of high-quality topaz in the world—and was cut down from 26 lbs to 10.1 lbs in the late 1980s. Color-wise, the stone isn’t as valuable as a vibrant imperial topaz would be, but its sheer size is impressive enough.
The American Golden Topaz
The Properties and Hardness of Topaz
The topaz is an interesting gemstone because, while it has a relatively high Mohs hardness of 8, the stone has to be handled more carefully than other stones with a similar hardness rating. This is because the stone’s molecules have a weak atomic bond, so if struck with something hard, a topaz could fracture.
The stone occurs naturally in golden brown to yellow, most often, but it can also appear in orange, pink, pinkish-orange, violet, and, quite rarely, blue. Topaz can also be treated to appear anywhere from transparent to wine red to pale green. Because it has such variety in color, many different types of metals may suit this stone, but we recommend setting the piece in a particularly sturdy metal, like low-karat gold or platinum, to support the stone. A bezel-set topaz would be protected very well and would last quite a long time.
