Topaz: Yellow or Blue?

[Pyro008]

I''ve posted about getting a ring for a while. Once again, I probably won''t get it for a few weeks or months, but I have narrowed it down to one stone and two colors: yellow or blue topaz.

I am a Scorpio and I was born in November, so technically, my stone is a topaz and some say that it is specifically a yellow topaz. But either way, blue or yellow topaz are both scorpio stones.

Personally, I like blue topaz better, but I kind of feel like if I am going to get topaz just because it is my birthstone, I might just go the full nine yards and get the color too.

I was just wondering if anyone could give me their input (especially if they own a blue or yellow topaz ring) and tell me which one they like better.

Here is a picture of both:

http://www.foggymountaingems.com/images/20030703-blue_topaz.jpg

http://www.bernardine.com/birthstone/yellow-topaz.htm

 

[movie zombie]

i''ll take the golden yellow ec, please!

peace, movie zombie

 

[MINE!!]

HEllo!

I like the Blue topaz. I love how rich and yummy they look. I was seriously considering getting some earrings made from some blue topaz. However, I would get the higher quality color.. some of them can look very lifeless, when others just sing. There are many gemstone people here on pricescope that I would contact that have excellent refrences as well as beatiful stones.!

Good luck!

 

[MINE!!]

I would suggest Richard_M and Richard Wise and check out Wink''s site and concavegems.com.

All of these people are wonderful and will go step by step with you to help you decide on the perfect color and stone.

 

[Cath]

I am a November baby too and I have always hated yellow topaz. Always wondered why I couldn''t have a lovely red stone like ruby or garnet instead...

I like the blue topaz better. It''s a bright, electric, crisp color. If you like it better too, that''s what I would go for.

 

[MJO]

What about imperial topaz? What most people agree on as the color is an pink/orange.

 

[valeria101]

Precious topaz comes anywhere from pink/violet to peach and sunset colors. They are wonderfully colored stones and very much respected for that.

Pala has a good presentation HERE on precious topaz showing the range of color (as much as a photo can do) and their inventory makes good example of what the better stones might look like.

Well... it just comes down to which yellow you hate !

Among the rings presented by there is one wonder of a topaz... the site does not allow me to link pictures, but here it is attached below:

 

[widget]

I prefer precious/imperial topaz over blue. They''re rarer, and just seem...well...more precious to me!

widget

 

[valeria101]

Now... there''s good news and bad news. These colors of topaz are beautiful and quite variate, but ptices go all over due to fine line differences in color (brownish tint is what usually makes the difference between world class prices and not quite so for more intense colors). Also, natural colored topaz is sometimes unstable - stones of fine color pale under exposure to light. This undesirable property is linked to geographic origin, but that is not easily ideantified and not the best guarantee anyway. Individual stones can be tested for color stability, and the valuable ones surely are.

The pink / violet topaz is heated (as far as I know, this is a low temperature affair - similar to tourmaline treatment, but I am not an expect and cannot guarantee this is the whole story) ... This does not make a huge difference of value as irradiation does for blue topaz. Pinks are still precious despite the relatively mild heating.

Some naturally colored blue topaz exists, but it is very light in color and rather rare.

This is about as much as I know about the range of choices for topaz. I hope one fits both your birthstone match and taste

 

[widget]

Valeria...is this true, or hogwash?

I heard somewhere that all all blue Topaz is radiated, and must by law "cool down" for a certain amount of time (months??) before it can be offered to the public for sale.

widget

 

[Kaleigh]

I just love the precious pink topaz, it''s yummy!! Treated or not!!!

 

[MJO]

Widget,

All the dark topaz is irradiated. As Anna said there is a light blue natural topaz but it is rare and the same price as treated, since you can''t tell the difference between it and treated stones without expensive testing. Blue topaz used to be very expensive before the treatment was discovered.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 4/25/2005 10:49:39 AM
Author: widget

I heard somewhere that all all blue Topaz is radiated; and must by law ''cool down'' for a certain amount of time (months??) before it can be offered to the public for sale.

All blue topaz is irradiated, but I am not at all familiar with the procedure or the respective piece of regulation.

True enough, when the effect of radiation on topaz was discovered, the treated stones were radioactive - a lab curiosity and not wearable. But that is no longer the case since times immemorial.


** MJO, I hear what you say about the pre-treatment time value of natural blue topaz. I still get to see old Russian jewelry with natural blue topaz set with the same pomp as the most precious of gems. It looks nice, of course, but odd because of current prices.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 4/25/2005 10:49:39 AM
Author: widget


I heard somewhere that all all blue Topaz is radiated, and must by law ''cool down'' for a certain amount of time (months??) before it can be offered to the public for sale.

widget

I''m not Valeria but I know a bit about this topic so I''ll add it for what it''s worth. For a broad general description of topaz and its treatment go to Topaz


This link has a great discussion about irradiation/heat treatment. What it doesn''t cover are the numerous newer topaz treatments currently on the market. These treatments are popular because large supplies of low-cost clear topaz are available; topaz is harder than many competitive gems (Mohs ; and it can be easily treated. Treated stones look good and can be sold very inexpensively even though some of the treatments are not really permanent (irradiated/heated blue topaz is a major exception but some of the non-permanent treatments result in blue stones too). The treatments are generally of two kinds: surface coatings (like the "plating" process used to create "Mystic Topaz" and several other non-natural topaz colors; and diffusion, which imparts a more permanent color treatment that''s only a molecule or so deep on the clear topaz surface.

Registered trade names associated with diffused topaz include: EverGreen, Glacier Blue, Teal, Champagne and Bali Bi-Color (blue and green). Most of these colors do NOT replicate natural topaz, which itself can occur in a wide range of colors.

There are so many names for the Azotic Coating Technology plating colors it''s impossible to keep up with them. Some of them replicate natural topaz colors but you can tell the difference by the price: pink, red and peach-colored natural topaz, for instnace, is very expensive while the plated stones sell for just a few dollars. Some of the color names I''ve seen are: Tanzanite, Celestial Sun, Orchid Dawn, Azotic Blue, Verdant Mist, Blue Passion, etc., etc.

Hope this helps.

Richard M.

 

[MINE!!]

My little girl has a wonderful pink topaz that is full of life and sparkle!!!

 

[MissAva]

I have a lovely blue topaz pear cut ring with a daimond halo and diamonds down the side of the band. I love it, my BF gave it to me for our 18 month anniversry. I love it and love the depth of color it provides with just a little bit of extra sparkle!

I think you would be happy with either as long you get one wiht aenough of a depth of color.

 

[leggs]

I am involved with resetting my mother''s 3 stone ring with 3 children''s birthstones. It also has a november stone and topaz was in question of colour,I chose mystic, rainbow topaz because they are extremely beautiful and went well with sapphire and tourmaline.I hope to have it complete and I will post soon.
In your case I would pick the blue topaz.