Topaz – Bhandari Gem Exports

BLUE Topaz

Her eyes twin sparkling pool as deep and crustal as the Blue Topaz.

Introduction

Natural blue topaz is a rare gemstone, which is why it’s commonly created through a process of heat treatment and irradiation of colorless topaz. Boasting an impressive 8 on the Mohres scale of hardness, blue topaz ranks among the most durable gemstones, rivaling the hardness of sapphire and surpassing that of tanzanite.

As the serene birthstone of December, Blue Topaz is believed to embody a soothing presence, promoting overall well-being and a tranquil mind. This majestic gemstone is also revered for its symbolic representation of faithfulness, loyalty, and protection. As blue is universally regarded as a color that wards off evil, Blue Topaz is thought to offer a similar safeguard. Additionally, as the official state gemstone of Utah, Blue Topaz is said to facilitate effective communication, clarifying the mind and empowering individuals to transform their ideas into meaningful words and actions.

Location

Mozambique, Madagascar, Brazil

Key facts

Mineral Family

Beryl

Refractive Index

1.583 to 1.590

Mohs Hardness

7.5 to 8.0

Chemical composition

Be3Al2Si6O18

Briefringence

0.007 to 0.008

Specific gravity

2.80 to 2.91

One of few stones on which we cut almost all shapes and sizes including designer-inspired and contemporary fancy cuts.

Although a range of impurities and treatments can make it occur in wide range of colours, we focus only on the blue variety
apart from the colourless white topaz. Three shades of blue typically exist- London, Swiss and Sky. London blue is richly
saturated and comes in deep, steel indigo blue with slight grey undernotes. Swiss blue is brighter but softer than the former
and is moderately saturated. The lightest of all Sky blue topaz is a pale and a delicate blue and its colour is often compared to
lighter shades of aquamarine.

The ones cut at the lapidary are typically free from eye visible inclusions and majority of them are loupe clean.

Naturally occurring blue topaz is rare, hence the colourless variety is treated with radiation produce a blue colour. Being a stable treatment, it is commonly accepted in the market.

The colours achieved after radiation depends upon the kind of radiation it is exposed to.

London and Swiss Topaz are radiated in nuclear facility with neutron radiation. Sky Topaz is radiated with electron radiation or gamma radiation.

The residual radioactivity in all are safe for human exposure and non-hazardous and lower than the acceptable levels set by U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission