By
Ashley Bailey, Sunday, August 06, 2006 12:00 AM
Until the 1970s, topaz was mostly known as a golden and reddish-orange gem. Since then, it has been known mostly as a blue gem. Mixed in with diamonds and diamond jewellry, it compares with the diamond's rarity but is much more attractive compared with it's price.
The shift in reputation stems from the introduction of an irradiated aquamarine look-alike that has become a jewelry industry staple. Indeed, irradiated blue topaz has at times been far more popular than its blue beryl counterpart. That’s understandable. Blue topaz offers consumers a deeper shade of aqua-blue at a fraction of the cost of comparable aquamarine or even diamonds.
The price is so much lower because the topaz that is ‘blued’ is prolific colorless to pale blue material found in Sri Lanka and Brazil.
As a result of the flood of irradiated blue topaz, many consumers have forgotten or never knew that topaz comes in gorgeous shades of reddish-orange and deep pink that are known as “imperial” or “precious” topaz. It is for these hues that topaz is named. Historians think the gem name has a Sanskrit root, “tapas,” which means fire. Anyone familiar with deep orange topaz knows the name is apt.
Alas, few jewelers steer consumers to imperial and precious topaz nowadays. They find it hard to justify the expense of these gems now that topaz has a reputation as a very inexpensive gem. People looking for golden-yellow and reddish-orange stones are more likely to be offered citrine quartz or spessartite garnet—unless their birthday falls in November, for which imperial topaz is the birthstone. (Curiously, blue topaz is a December birthstone.)
Recently, home-shopping television networks have been selling tons of "rainbow topaz" - colorless material which has been electrochemically coated with metallic oxide to create iridescent colors. Although attractive, this gimmicky new treated gem will probably contribute further to the decline in sales of fine-quality natural topaz. Only real diamonds and gemstones relay the meaning behind any fine jewelry piece - whether it's bought for your self or as a gift.
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