The origin of the name Topaz generates confusion, as some references point to the Sanskrit word “tapaz”, meaning fire, while others believe it is named after Zebirget, an island in the Red Sea that the ancient Greeks called Topazius, the ancient source of Peridot. In the past, the name was not consistently or specifically applied (it was once used to describe most yellow gems) and sometimes Topaz and Peridot are mentioned as being the same and sometimes different. Interestingly, in the famous book “The Curious Lore of Precious Stones”, the esteemed gemologist George Frederick Kunz (1856 – 1932) states that these two gems are the same species.

Topaz is an inherently romantic gem and features regularly in the titles of romance novels and honeymoon destinations. Its name indicates beauty, rarity and wealth, and imparts a sense of timelessness.

While the golden yellow and blues of Topaz are the most widely known, Topaz actually comes in a diverse array of striking colors. This combined with its beauty and durability, makes Topaz jewelry ideal for all occasions.



Many ancient traditions and beliefs have created a brilliant history for Topaz. Similarly to Peridot, the Egyptians called Topaz the “gem of the sun”, believing it was colored by the golden glow of their sun god Ra and thus a powerful protector from harm.

Greeks and Romans also associated the golden crystals with their Sun God, Jupiter. They believed the gem increased their strength and could neutralize enchantments.

Topaz is mentioned in the Bible as being one of the “stones of fire” (Ezekiel 28:13-16) that were given to Moses and set in the breastplate of Aaron (Exodus 28:15-30). Topaz is also one of the twelve gemstones set in the foundations of the city walls of Jerusalem (Revelations 21:19) and associated with the Apostle Matthew.

Bushmen in Africa used Topaz in healing ceremonies and rituals to connect with ancestral spirits.

In medieval courts, Kings, judges and other noble persons were often presented with an engraved Topaz to win favor and cultivate positive relationships.

If you are on a journey of spiritual change, Topaz is believed by crystal healers to make an excellent companion. It apparently teaches you to trust in the Universe, aiding you to fully recognize the magical laws of attraction, increasing your ability to manipulate them.

Once believed to make you invincible during danger, Topaz is also believed by some crystal healers to strengthen confidence and to help you make correct decisions by giving you the courage to follow through on choices, thereby changing dreams into reality.

Meditations with Topaz are believed by some to help awaken sleeping talents and illuminate co-creative energies.



Mined from both host rock and alluvial deposits, its unique crystal structure makes Topaz a hard and dense gemstone. Because of this, pure colorless Topaz has often been mistaken for Diamond. Weighing 1,680 carats, the huge Braganza gemstone mounted into the Portuguese crown jewels was originally thought to be a Diamond - in fact it is a beautiful clear Topaz.

A hydrous aluminum fluorosilicate, Topaz is usually formed in granitic pegmatites and in Quartz veins.

Blue Topaz

As well as the renowned Sky Blue Topaz, the more intense coloring of Swiss Blue and London Blue Topaz are also becoming increasingly popular.

Glacier Topaz^TM

A unification of fire and ice, Glacier Topaz™ mixes the pure clear whites of glacier ice with a fiery brilliance and luster reminiscent of Diamonds. Sourced from Russia’s frozen wildness, Glacier Topaz™ is a stunning new gemstone exclusive to GemsTV.

Mined from the same region as Russian Alexandrite and Siberian Emerald, Glacier Topaz™ is yet another testament to the quality of Russian gemstones recently unearthed by our tireless gem hunters. Glacier Topaz™, arguably Topaz at its most pure, requires only cutting and faceting to reveal its hidden beauty.

Glacier Topaz™ is mined at one location on the planet, the famous Murzinka mines (named after the Ostyak's Prince Murzin) in the Ural Mountains, Russia. Active for well over a century, the Murzinka mines produce some of the world’s finest Topaz, a gemstone for which Russia was once famous. While Brazil is today the recognized powerhouse for Topaz, Russian Topaz is relatively difficult to source, particularly with respect to the pure natural perfection embodied by Glacier Topaz™.


The miners work the deposits of the Murzinka granite pegmatite fields by tunneling up to 30 meters below the earth’s surface in an effort to carefully extract Topaz crystals directly from the host rocks of the lucrative Mokrusha vein. Painstaking work, only a very small percentage of all the Murzinka Topaz mined has the necessary purity to warrant the distinction of being called Glacier Topaz™.

Imperial Topaz

At the height of Imperial Russia’s power, orange pink Topaz was brought from Brazil to decorate the jewelry of the Czarina’s. Since then, these colors have been known as Imperial Topaz and even today remain one of the most coveted varieties. Interestingly, some sources dispute this legend and state that Imperial Topaz was named in honor of Emperor Don Pedro of Brazil.

Mystic Topaz

Displaying a flaming kaleidoscope of colors, Mystic Topaz (also known as Mystic Fire Topaz, Rainbow Topaz, Titanium Topaz, Alaskan Topaz and Caribbean Topaz) is one of this centuries most beautiful new gemstones.

Mystic Topaz is produced using the physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating process. Applied to top quality natural White Topaz, the treatment is permanent with normal wear.

While Mystic Topaz displays a wide variety of scintillating celestial, earthly and oceanic hues all in one gemstone, the PVD process also produces a range of popular new Topaz colors including Red Topaz, Magenta Topaz, Flamingo Topaz, Twilight Topaz, Cornish Blue Topaz, Moonlight Topaz, Canary Topaz, Kiwi Topaz and Neptune Topaz.