Topaz is a silicate mineral { Al2SiO4(F,OH)2 or aluminum fluorosilicate }that forms beautiful prismatic crystals.
Pure topaz is clear though topaz often contains impurities that cause the brilliant colors we know and love. Precious topaz is orange.
Imperial topaz is yellow, pink or pink-orange; blue topaz is blue, but usually pale. It is often irradiated to darken the blue color. Red and pink topaz are the rarest color varieties of this stone. Mystic topaz is colorless topaz with a layer of titanium to give it an iridescent effect.
In ancient times, the word topaz was used to refer to any yellow or green gemstone. The name is believed to have derived from Topazos, an island in the Red Sea (now called St. John’s Island) from which a yellow stone referred to as Topaz was mined in great quantities.
The stone that was mined there was not the topaz we know today but more likely Chrysolite. The name may also have been derived from the Sanskrit tapas meaning fire.
The name topaz for the stone we are discussing here was first used by mineralogist Johann Friedrich Henckel in the 1700s. It can be difficult to trace ancient uses of Topaz because of this confusion of names, so anything you read about topaz’s magickal and healing uses and correspondences should be taken with a grain of salt.
Topaz is generally found near volcanic activity, forming when fluorine-rich gasses rise from lava flows. Topaz in mined throughout the world and varies by location.
Brazilian Topaz is light yellow to a deep golden color and sometimes even violet. Colorado Topaz tends to be pale blue and Utah Topaz tends to be dark brown or amber in color.
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Topaz Correspondences
Imperial Topaz (yellow, orange, pinkish-orange) symbolizes friendship. It is also the state gemstone of Utah. Yellow Imperial Topaz is a birthstone for November. It is said to encourage abundance, wealth and inspiration.
Blue Topaz is the state gemstone of Texas and a birthstone for the month of December. It is said to enhance psychic perceptions and to improve communication with spirits, higher powers and your own subconscious.
Use yellow or clear topaz to bring the energy of the Sun and the element fire into your magick.
Because topaz comes in such a variety of colors (and clear topaz can be treated to turn it just about any color you like), you can use whichever one best suits your magical goal.
Notes
Some yellow topaz will fade to clear in sunlight.
1. By James St John on Flickr. No changes made to original. Some Rights Reserved, Creative Commons 2.0 Generic
