TOPAZ

Mineral characteristic.

Aluminum fluorosilicate Al2 (OH, F) 2SiO4. It is a variety of colors and shades due to impurities, clean colorless topaz, but the most valuable of yellow, pink and blue topaz. Topaz burn in bright sunlight and can completely lose their color (discolored), are particularly sensitive topaz blue color. The energy of the sun's rays, making up the crystal lattice defects, discolor crystals. Therefore, topaz found on the earth's surface, normally colorless.

There are also polychrome topaz, the transition from one color to another (eg, from blue to yellow and brownish, back to blue and then to colorless). Topaz often unevenly colored. Chemically pure colorless topaz, its stained titanium compounds, iron and chromium. Topaz are including in Ukraine, where its reserves are sufficient and it occurs in the form of crystals and solid arrays, and the CIS (a precious and beautiful stone, with only solid colors, transparent colors, is now available in one form or another for most Ukrainians). Transparent, beautifully colored topaz - fine jewelry stones.

Painting neoblagorozhennyh topaz is never sharp, "chemical". She was always very natural and soft. Smoke, smoky earthy and smoky golden topaz does not happen: in the trade smoky-gray stone called rauhkvartsom, but it is - much less expensive quartz (silicon oxides), which are sometimes sold at very expensive price of natural topaz. Much harder than quartz Topaz (rauhkvartsa, rock crystal, amethyst, citrine), it can not be scratched crystal quartz (rock crystal), topaz leaves a mark on quartz glass and scratching during them on the surface.

Topaz has long attracted people's attention. It is characterized by a special internal play of light, reminiscent of the ease and transparency of a drop of morning dew. cores, which are thin narrow plate in the form of blades (vykolki topaz) - In the Urals, in the vicinity of Ugalinskih lakes on one of the most ancient sites of primitive man (Small Ugāle II) products made of rock crystal and topaz were discovered.

Topaz crystals differ in crystal morphology, not only in different fields, but sometimes even on their individual sites. Topaz occur as single crystals, friends or granular dense aggregates. Crystal size may be different. The largest are found in cavities, where their mass reaches tens and even hundreds of kilograms. In 1965, wine-yellow crystal weighing 117 kg was found in pegmatites of Volyn, size 82h37h35 see this unique Stained crystal unevenly. Central part of yellow, peripheral - Wine and yellow. The head clear, transparent, base murky because of the abundance of inclusions. Unfortunately, the crystal is not preserved. The crystals weighing several tens of kilograms in this field are encountered frequently. Currently pegmatites of Volyn - the only source of jewelery and technical topaz in Ukraine. The crystals of topaz weighing over one hundred kilograms observed in Brazil. In Norway, it was found topaz weighing 64 kg. Weight of the largest topazes Urals reached 32 kg.

The blue color of topaz Volyn uncommon in the area-colored crystals. Sometimes coloration varies sharply from wine-red to pink, golden yellow, light and bright blue, it is zonal and creates an indescribable mix of shades of late afternoon sky. The boundaries between the zones can be rectilinear, oriented parallel to the faces of the prism, or vague. Observed crystals with blue or light color in the central part, passing into pinkish-red in the peripheral. In other crystals can be reversed zoning: intense wine-red coloration in the center and bright blue - in the outer. Pink topaz is very rare. Large crystals of topaz intense red color found in Pakistan, there met and pale pink topaz. Pink and smoky topaz found in the pegmatites of Volyn. Golden-, Medovo and wine-yellow topazes known in Brazil, saffron-yellow - on about. Sri Lanka, light yellow wine - Saxon in the Vosges.

Pleochroism from clear topaz. The Blue Topaz (especially with a greenish tint), there is a weak pleochroism under the scheme: blue - colorless or blue-green - green, with the clearer, more pronounced than green. Enjoy some yellow topaz pleochroism from light to dark yellow or yellow-red. Gloss topaz glass, in the cleavage planes of crystals - sometimes pearlescent. Hardness 8.

Topaz crystals have a characteristic feature: almost all of them from the bottom flat bottom. Crystal always well is on a flat smooth and shiny horizontal surface, similar to the one face. But this false facet actually cleavage at the cleavage. At topaz perfectly manifested cleavage, perpendicular to the vertical axis of the crystals. Often cleavage and chipped the top of the crystal. Most can be found at the cleavage vykolki - large and small plates topaz. Cleavage led to two more features of the appearance of the mineral: pearl luster and step fracture. And then, and another it is present in the spines of cleavages, as on the faces shine bright topaz, glass, close to the diamond.

Topaz is easily electrified by friction, compression and heating. The degree of electrification depends on the field. For example, topaz Shnekkenshteyna electrified crystals when stroking fingers, and for driving the electrification in some Brazilian topazes sufficiently weak finger pressure. Topaz contain gas, liquid and gas-liquid inclusions, which are located in the cracks, channels or in separate vials.

In the treatment given to various cut topaz: diamond, emerald, fantasy, oval cabochon. Sometimes used stone carving. It is now widely used around the world, not only with topaz natural, but obtained artificially colored, especially blue and pink. Recognition of such sanitized topaz is very difficult. Excessively deep blue topaz in jewelry can talk about it and the possible irradiation of imported origin (all imported factory topaz jewelry is usually irradiated). Over time, the artificially irradiated topaz burns and partly discolored and generally retains its natural color. Yellow Topaz can be easily confused with citrine. Therefore, actual topaz patriotic (for Ukraine) slogan: "Kupuyte ukraїnske !!" (Zhytomyr region., Valadar-Volyn pegmatite field of Ukraine).

we do not recommend for safety reasons to buy in the private home collection transparent defect-free (without any visible internal defects) samples of topaz and other transparent defect-free stones larger than 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm - they are officially prirovnyat for jewelry raw materials and licensing activity. If the sample is thin (regardless of the degree of soundness, thinner 1.5 cm) - regardless of the size and other dimensions it is not material for the jewelry industry in general.

The magical properties of stones.

It is believed that a person wearing a topaz, and always optimistic. Women he bestows beauty and men - wisdom. Topaz may traditionally be a talisman of travelers, especially useful for sea trips: Topaz can calm the storm. However, stone calms not only nature but also human relationships, awakening even longtime opponents spirituality and bringing them to an agreement. However, some are not advised to have topaz traveling: it attracts natural mood precisely in order to show their power. But we must remember that with any stone can be negotiated. Stone - a talisman, riding on a stormy passions of love and life situations, brings wisdom and incline of the owner of good works; mascot criminologists, investigators, undercover agents. Topaz helps triumphant promotion of its owner on "all fronts", improves family life, strengthens foresight. According to sorcerers, topaz frees man from violent and dangerous passions, it creates the mood of serene pleasures of life, sharpens the sense of taste. Those who were born in November, topaz gives a true friendship and love. In ancient times it was called topaz stone inner enlightenment.

Should not be confused over the name of the true topaz with rauhkvartsem (smoky quartz, obsolete. - Rauchtopaz) and magical interpretation as rauhkvarts (smoky quartz) introduces man to the world of illusions and stimulates prophetic dreams (which may be incorrectly istraktovat) absorbs external negative energy, this stone is not for everyone. Topaz is the actual potivopolozhnostyu rauhkvartsu in the aspects of magic, do not confuse them ever.