TOPAZ

Topaz is a transparent precious stone occurring in a wide range of colours: from colourless to golden-yellow, blue, pink, orange ('imperial topaz') and even brown. Most prized are the rich golden-orange and the rare pink topaz, while blue is one of the most popular and affordable. The stone has good hardness, a fine glassy lustre and transparency, so it facets beautifully and plays with light. Historically topaz was considered a stone of strength, clarity of thought and protection. Its name, by one account, comes from an island in the Red Sea. Topaz is a transparent precious stone of a wide colour range, in which fine transparency, lustre and a diversity of shades from golden to blue combine with an ancient symbolism of strength and clarity, making it an expressive and popular stone of jewellery.