bltopaz

Blue Topaz

Blue Zircon

Information on this stone was gathered from several sources,
including but not limited to the Gemological Institute of America.

The utilization of topaz goes back to the days of the Ancient Egyptian Empire. Its popularity grew tremendously during the Middle Ages, when people believed topaz to have the power to strengthen the mind. Many astonishing pieces of topaz jewelry were created with this sparkling gemstone.

In the past, many refered to topaz as a yellow to orange gemstone, but due to the large supply of blue topaz in the world market today, many have been led to believe that topaz is exclusively a blue gemstone. Of course neither of these misconceptions are true and topaz can display a wide variety of colors and even unusual effects - such as is seen in smoky topaz. The modern word topaz is derived from the Sanskrit word "tapas".

The world's largest supplier of topaz is Brazil. However, Pakistan and the former USSR are emerging as the new sources for topaz supply. Topaz comes in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes making it ideal for a wide variety of applications.

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Its brilliance and clarity will be able to attract the attention of those who see this gem. With a hardness of 8 on the Moh's scale, topaz is very difficult to scratch; however, the gems may be brittle.Topaz earrings and topaz necklaces are always an ideal option whereas topaz rings need be handled with care.

Red and intense pink are the most rare and most desirable colors for topaz. A gem with these colors will command a relatively high price. Bright orange color topaz, also known as imperial topaz, falls into the moderate price range and is easier to find. Blue Topaz, having a low to moderate price range, is very popular, because a variety of shades, sizes and shapes are available. The true determinant for the evaluation of this precious stone will be the wearer's preference. The intensity of color and the clarity of the stone will contribute to the value of topaz as well, and should never be neglected.

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For many centuries, the brilliance of zircon has captured the hearts of those who set their eyes on this magnificent gemstone. Zircon’s popularity began to grow in the sixth century, when Italian artisans featured the stone in jewelry designs. During the Middle Ages, zircon was believed to contain remedial power, protecting the wearer from diseases and banishing insomnia. The name “zircon” is believed to have derived from the Arabic words, “zar”, meaning gold, and “gun”, meaning color

Thailand and Cambodia are the world’s major suppliers of zircon with large deposits near the border of the two countries. Vietnam, Burma, Sri Lanka and Africa also provide a large supply of these marvelous gemstones to the world market.

There are three natural types of zircons: low, medium and high. The variance is due mainly to the differences in the specific gravity and refractive index.

Having the highest refractive index among any natural gemstones, with the exception of diamonds, the brilliance of high zircon is second to none. As temperature rises, the refractive index of zircon also increases, making the gems even more spectacular. Despite its brilliance, Zircon is quite brittle and can easily be chipped or scratched. When setting zircon jewelry care need be taken to make a protective mount. Therefore zircon earrings and zircon necklaces are the more obvious choices but zircon rings need not be discounted – simply treated with respect.

A very unique characteristic of zircon is birefringence, meaning that light splits into two rays as it passes through the stone. As a result, the back facets appear as double images.

Zircons are often blue or colorless. Other color varieties, such as yellow, orange, green, brown and red, do exist, but they are extremely rare. The intensity of color and the clarity of the stone are the most important criteria when evaluating zircon. The presence of visible flaws greatly diminishes the value of this stone.

Deep blue and natural red zircons are the most sought after varieties. Intense blue, orange and red zircons over 3 carats in size fall into the moderate price range. Smaller stones with ordinary colors will fall into the lower price range.

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December Birthstones