With one of its hues an icy blue, this is the perfect colour birthstone for December. In the Middle Ages, topaz was thought to heal mental illness and physical ailments and it was worn by the Egyptians as a protection amulet. In modern times, having topaz as a birthstone is said to promote health and having a calm mind. Blue topaz also looks gorgeous set with silver.
In nature, topaz is mostly colourless (albeit one of the cleanest, clearest and crispest stones ever discovered) and naturally strong blue gems are very rare.
However, strong blue shades can be created by treating colourless topaz through a combination of heat and radiation. These colours range from dark to icy blues and are generally known as London Blue (a deep inky colour), Swiss Blue (vibrant light blue) and Sky Blue (a light aqua colour). Our blue topaz jewellery is made from natural stones.
Topaz is considered a ‘Type 1’ gemstone, meaning inclusions are rare. Although these aren’t necessarily a bad thing as they can add character to a piece of jewellery, the pure clarity of topaz is visually stunning. It is also a pleochroic gemstone meaning that different colours can be seen from different angles as you move the gem in the light.
An energetically powerful stone, blue topaz is said to help alleviate sadness and anger and promote healing. Wearing your blue topaz birthstone is also thought to increase inner strength, stimulate the brain and enhance creativity.
It registers 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness, making it almost as hard as sapphire and tougher than tanzanite, but it can be brittle if knocked at the wrong angle so care should be taken when storing it.
To clean your blue topaz jewellery, use warm water and a little washing up liquid and wash it gently with a cloth or soft toothbrush.
As well as a modern December birthstone, blue topaz is also given as an 4th wedding anniversary present.
It is said that topaz is the gemstone with the most extensive range of curative properties associated with it over history. The Ancient Greeks once used topaz as a talisman to give them strength, as well as supposedly relieving insomnia and restoring sanity. During the Middle Ages in Europe, it was once believed that topaz could protect against spells and magic.
The largest and most famous blue topaz is The Ostro at 9,381 carats. Explorer Max Ostro found the rough in Brazil in 1986 and the flawless stone was cut and polished and locked away in the family vault for three decades. It is now on permanent loan at the Natural History Museum in London, displayed alongside other specimens in one of the world’s most important mineral collections.
More recently, The Princess of Wales has been spotted wearing more than one pair of blue topaz drop earrings and Hollywood is also very fond of the blue gem. It has been famously worn at award ceremonies by such celebrities as Cate Blanchett.
Topaz is a silicate mineral made up of aluminium and fluorine and strong chemical bonding makes it the hardest of the silicate minerals. All members of the topaz have the same mineral composition, it’s just the colour that differs. This is due to variations in crystal structure or natural trace impurities. Colourless, pale blue, yellow-brown, red and pink forms are known to occur naturally (albeit some of these are very rare).
Topaz is mined across many parts of the globe, including China, USA, Russia and Mexico, in the USA state of Texas and Sri Lanka.
