Editing Topaz

{{short description|Silicate mineral}}
{{About|the mineral or gemstone}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox mineral
| name       = Topaz
| category   = [[silicate mineral|Nesosilicate]]
| boxwidth   =
| boxbgcolor = #8F573F
| boxtextcolor = #FFFFFF
| image      = Topaze, quartz fumé 1.jpg
| imagesize  = 270px
| caption    = Topaz crystal on white matrix
| formula    = {{chem2|Al2SiO4(F, OH)2}}
| IMAsymbol   = Tpz<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Warr|first=L. N. |date=2021 |title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols |magazine=[[Mineralogical Magazine]] |volume=85 |issue=3 |pages=291–320 |doi=10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |bibcode=2021MinM...85..291W |s2cid=235729616 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
| strunz     = 9.AF.35
| system     = [[orthorhombic crystal system|Orthorhombic]]
| class      = [[bipyramid|Dipyramidal]] (mmm)<br>[[H–M symbol]]: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
| symmetry   = ''Pbnm''
| unit cell  = a&nbsp;=&nbsp;4.65&nbsp;[[Ångström|Å]], b&nbsp;=&nbsp;8.8&nbsp;Å,<br>c&nbsp;=&nbsp;8.4&nbsp;Å; Z&nbsp;=&nbsp;4
| color      = Colorless (if impurities are absent), white, blue, brown, orange, gray, yellow, yellowish brown, green, pink, reddish pink, or even red
| habit      = Prismatic crystal
| twinning   = Rarely on [111]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nesse |first1=William D. |title=Introduction to mineralogy |date=2000 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=New York |isbn=9780195106916 |page=313}}</ref>
| cleavage   = [001] Perfect
| fracture   = [[conchoidal fracture|Subconchoidal]] to uneven
| mohs       = 8 (defining mineral)
| luster      = Vitreous
| refractive  = n{{sub|α}} = 1.606–1.629<br />n{{sub|β}} = 1.609–1.631<br />n{{sub|γ}} = 1.616–1.638
| opticalprop = Biaxial (+)
| birefringence = δ = 0.010
| pleochroism = Weak in thick sections X = yellow; Y = yellow, violet, reddish; Z = violet, bluish, yellow, pink
| fluorescence= Golden yellow under short UV; [[cream (colour)|cream]] under long UV
| streak      = White
| gravity     = 3.49–3.57
| diaphaneity = Transparent
| other       =
| references  = <ref>{{cite book |last1=Hurlbut|first1=Cornelius S. |last2=Klein|first2=Cornelis |year=1985 |title=Manual of Mineralogy |publisher=[[Wiley (publisher)|Wiley]] |edition=20 |isbn=0-471-80580-7}}</ref><ref name="Handbook">{{cite book |editor1=Anthony, John W. |editor2=Bideaux, Richard A. |editor3=Bladh, Kenneth W. |editor4=Nichols, Monte C. |title=Handbook of Mineralogy |publisher=Mineralogical Society of America |place=Chantilly, VA, US |chapter-url=http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/topaz.pdf |chapter=Topaz |access-date=December 5, 2011 |volume=II (Silica, Silicates) |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-9622097-1-0}}</ref><ref name="Mindat">[http://www.mindat.org/show.php?id=3996&ld=1&pho= Topaz]. Mindat.org. Retrieved on 2011-10-29.</ref><ref name=Webmineral>[http://webmineral.com/data/Topaz.shtml Topaz]. Webmineral.com. Retrieved on 2011-10-29.</ref>
}}

'''Topaz''' is a [[silicate mineral]] made of [[aluminium|aluminum]] and [[fluorine]] with the [[chemical formula]] [[aluminium|Al]]{{sub|2}}[[silicon|Si]][[oxygen|O]]{{sub|4}}([[fluorine|F]], [[hydroxide|OH]]){{sub|2}}. It is used as a [[gemstone]] in jewelry and other adornments. Common topaz in its natural state is colorless, though trace element impurities can make it pale blue or golden-brown to yellow-orange.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Menzies |first=Michael A. |date=2023-12-08 |title=Connoisseur's Choice: Topaz from Granite Pegmatites: Limoeiro Mine, Virgem da Lapa, Araçuaí Pegmatite District, Minas Gerais, Brazil |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2023.2253100 |journal=Rocks & Minerals |volume=99 |issue=1 |pages=36–55 |doi=10.1080/00357529.2023.2253100 |s2cid=266145193 |issn=0035-7529|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Topaz is often treated with heat or radiation to make it a deep blue, reddish-orange, pale green, pink, or purple.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Topaz Value, Price, and Jewelry Information|url=https://www.gemsociety.org/article/topaz-jewelry-and-gemstone-information/|access-date=2021-11-16|website=International Gem Society|language=en}}</ref>

Topaz is a [[nesosilicate]] [[mineral]], and more specifically, an aluminosilicate mineral.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tennakoon |first1=Sumudu |last2=Peng |first2=Ye |last3=Mookherjee |first3=Mainak |last4=Speziale |first4=Sergio |last5=Manthilake |first5=Geeth |last6=Besara |first6=Tiglet |last7=Andreu |first7=Luis |last8=Rivera |first8=Fernando |date=2018-01-22 |title=Single crystal elasticity of natural topaz at high-temperatures |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=8 |issue=1 |page=1372 |doi=10.1038/s41598-017-17856-3 |issn=2045-2322 |pmc=5778148 |pmid=29358663|bibcode=2018NatSR...8.1372T }}</ref> It is one of the hardest naturally occurring minerals and has a relatively low [[index of refraction]]. It has the orthorhombic [[crystal system]] and a dipyramidial [[crystal class]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Handbook of mineralogy. 2,2: Silica, Silicates: Pt. 2 |date=1995 |publisher=Mineral Data Publ |isbn=978-0-9622097-1-0 |location=Tucson, Ariz}}</ref>

It occurs in many places in the world. Some of the most popular places where topaz is sourced are Brazil and Russia.<ref name=":0" /> Topaz is often mined in open pit or alluvial settings.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Topaz Mining: Balancing Resource Extraction and Sustainability |url=https://www.brilliyond.com/blog/topaz-mining |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=www.brilliyond.com}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The word "topaz" is usually believed to be derived (via [[Old French]]: Topace and [[Latin]]: Topazius) from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''Τοπάζιος'' (Topázios) or ''Τοπάζιον'' (Topázion),<ref name="etymonline.com">{{OEtymD|topaz}}</ref> from Τοπαζος. This is the ancient name of [[St. John's Island, Egypt|St. John's Island]] in the [[Red Sea]] which was difficult to find and from which a yellow stone (now believed to be [[Peridot|chrysolite]]: yellowish [[olivine]]) was mined in ancient times. The name ''topaz'' was first applied to the mineral now known by that name in 1737.{{sfn|Hurlbut|Klein|1985}} Ancient Sri Lanka ([[Tamraparni]]) exported topazes to Greece and ancient Egypt, which led to the etymologically related names of the island by [[Alexander Polyhistor]] (''Topazius'') and the early Egyptians (''Topapwene'') – "land of the Topaz".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Suckling |first1=Horatio John |title=Ceylon: A General Description of the Island, Historical, Physical, Statistical. Containing the Most Recent Information |date=1876 |publisher=Chapman & Hall |page=[https://archive.org/details/ceylonagenerald02suckgoog/page/n32 10] |url=https://archive.org/details/ceylonagenerald02suckgoog |quote=topaz taprobane. |access-date=28 June 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Astrological Magazine |journal=Astrological Magazine |date=1967 |volume=56 |issue=1–6 |page=75 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BBcPAQAAIAAJ&q=taprobane |access-date=28 June 2019 |language=en}}</ref> [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] said that [[St. John's Island, Egypt|Topazos]] is a ''legendary'' island in the [[Red Sea]] and the mineral "topaz" was first mined there. Alternatively, the word ''topaz'' may be related to the Sanskrit word तपस् "tapas", meaning "heat" or "fire".<ref name="etymonline.com"/>

==History==
Nicols, the author of one of the first systematic treatises on minerals and gemstones, dedicated two chapters to the topic in 1652.<ref>''A Lapidary or History of Gemstones'', University of Cambridge, 1652.</ref> In the [[Middle Ages]], the name topaz was used to refer to any yellow gemstone, but in modern times it denotes only the silicate described above.

Many English translations of the [[Bible]], including the [[King James Version]], mention topaz. However, because these translations as ''topaz'' all derive from the [[Septuagint]] translation ''topazi[os]'', which referred to a yellow stone that was not topaz, but probably ''chrysolite'' ([[chrysoberyl]] or [[peridot]]), topaz is likely not meant here.<ref>Farrington, Oliver (1903) [http://www.farlang.com/gemstones/farrington-gems-and-gem-minerals/page_136 ''Gems and Gem Minerals'']. Chicago. p. 119.</ref>

An English superstition also held that topaz cured [[lunatic|lunacy]].<ref>Pettigrew, Thomas Joseph (1844) [https://archive.org/details/onsuperstitionsc00pettuoft ''On Superstitions Connected with the History and Practice of Medicine and Surgery'']. Philadelphia E. Barrington and G.D. Haswell. p. 70.</ref> The ancient Romans believed that topaz provided protection from danger while traveling.<ref name="webster-1021">{{cite book |last1=Webster |first1=R. |year=2012 |title=The encyclopedia of superstitions |publisher=Llewellyn Worldwide |isbn=9780738725611 |page=256}}</ref> During the Middle Ages, it was believed that attaching the topaz to the left arm protected the owner from any curse and warded off the [[evil eye]]. It was also believed that wearing topaz increased body heat, which would enable people to relieve a cold or fever.{{sfn|Webster|2012|p=260}} In Europe during the Middle Ages, topaz was believed to enhance mental powers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Simmons |first1=Robert |title=The book of stones : who they are & what they teach |date=2005 |publisher=Heaven and Earth Pub |location=East Montpelier, VT |isbn=978-0962191039 |page=403}}</ref> In India, people believed topaz granted beauty, intelligence, and longevity when worn over the heart.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=November Birthstone |url=https://www.gia.edu/birthstones/november-birthstones#:~:text=This%20November%20birthstone%20was%20long,magic%20spells%20and%20dispel%20anger. |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Gemological Institute of America}}</ref>

==Gemstone==
Topaz is a [[gemstone]]. In cut and polished form, it is used to make jewelry or other adornments. Lower quality topaz is commonly used as an [[abrasive]] material due to its hardness and it is used to produce [[refractory]] materials for high temperature environments.<ref name=":0" /> Topaz can be used as a flux in steel production.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Topaz |url=https://meg.resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-11/topaz.pdf |access-date=March 20, 2024 |website=resourcesregulator.nsw.gov |publisher=NSW Department of Primary Industries}}</ref> Using topaz as a refectory material does have some health and environmental concerns due to the production of fluorine as a byproduct of calcining topaz.

Topaz is a part of the second rank of gemstones, or semiprecious stones, accompanying [[Aquamarine (gem)|aquamarine]], [[Morganite (gem)|morganite]], and [[tourmaline]].<ref name=":0" /> The first rank of gemstones, or precious stones, includes [[ruby]], [[sapphire]], [[diamond]], and [[emerald]].

Orange topaz, also known as precious topaz, is the [[birthstone]] for the month of November, the symbol of friendship, and the [[List of U.S. state minerals, rocks, stones and gemstones|state gemstone]] of the U.S. state of [[Utah]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pioneer.utah.gov/research/utah_symbols/gem.html |title=Utah State gem – Topaz |website=Pioneer.utah.gov |date=2010-06-16 |access-date=2011-10-29 |df=dmy-all |archive-date=2012-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114180742/http://pioneer.utah.gov/research/utah_symbols/gem.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Blue topaz is the state gemstone of the US state of [[Texas]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/symbols/gem.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312074504/http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/symbols/gem.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-03-12 |title=Texas state gem – Blue Topaz. State gemstone cut – Lone Star cut |website=state.tx.us}}</ref> The 4th wedding anniversary gem is blue topaz and the 23rd is imperial topaz.<ref name=":2" />

Synthetic topaz can be produced using a method that includes the thermal hydrolysis of SiO<sub>2</sub> and AlF<sub>3</sub>.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Deer |first=W. A. |title=An introduction to the rock-forming minerals |last2=Howie |first2=Robert A. |last3=Zussman |first3=Jack |date=1989 |publisher=Longman [u.a.] |isbn=978-0-582-44210-8 |edition=16. impr |location=London}}</ref> When these compounds are heated to temperatures of 750° to 850&nbsp;°C topaz is formed. Another method uses a combination of amorphous Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, Na<sub>2</sub>SiF<sub>6</sub>, and water which is heated to a temperature of 500&nbsp;°C, put under a pressure of 4000 bars, and left for 9 days.<ref name=":1" />

To care for a topaz gemstone, it is best to avoid ultrasonic cleaners or steam as this could produce small fractures within the crystal.<ref name=":2" /> Warm water with soap is the best way to wash it.

To choose an ethically sourced topaz gemstone, it is recommended to search for a stone that the seller knows the origin of.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Breakfast |first=Gem |title=The Most Comprehensive Guide to Buying Ethical Gemstones |url=https://gembreakfast.com/blogs/news/the-most-comprehensive-guide-to-buying-ethical-gemstones |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Gem Breakfast |language=en}}</ref> If the seller cannot produce information about the locality and mine that the topaz was collected from, it is likely that it was collected unethically. 

== Structure ==
[[File:Topaz.GIF|thumb|Topaz's crystal structure using polyhedrons showcasing the aluminum octahedron (grey), silica tetrahedron (blue), oxygen (red), and fluorine (green).]]
Topaz is an accessory mineral to felsic igneous, sedimentary, and hydrothermally altered rocks.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Nesse |first=William D. |title=Introduction to mineralogy |date=2017 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-061835-3 |edition=3rd |location=New York Oxford}}</ref>

The crystal structure of topaz alternates between sheets of (F, OH)<sub>2</sub>O and O along (010) with Al<sup>3+</sup> occupying the octahedral sites and Si<sup>4+</sup> in the tetrahedral sites.<ref name=":3" /> Fluorine can be substituted by hydroxide in topaz by up to 30&nbsp;mol.% in nature and hydroxide-dominating topaz can be made in laboratories but has not been found in nature.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Wise |first=Michael A. |date=1995–2002 |title=Topaz: A Mineralogical Review |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00357529.1995.9926593 |journal=Rocks & Minerals |language=en |volume=70 |issue=1 |pages=16–25 |doi=10.1080/00357529.1995.9926593 |issn=0035-7529|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

On occasion, cavities can be found within topaz and they are filled with a liquid called brewsterlinite.<ref name=":1" /> Brewsterlinite was discovered by [[David Brewster]] upon heating a sample of topaz.<ref>{{Cite EB9 |wstitle= Topaz |volume= XXIII |page=446 |short= 1}}</ref> After heating, the topaz lost mass, and through examination Brewster concluded Topaz was formed in a wet environment creating these liquid-filled cavities. This liquid is a hydrocarbon with a refractive index of 1·13.<ref name=":1" />

Topaz's crystal habit takes many forms. It can display a range of slender and long crystals to bulky and short.<ref name=":4" /> There can also be variation in the terminations displaying blunt, pyramidal, chisel, or wedge-shaped terminations. The perfect cleavage {001} in topaz breaks no Si-O bonds within its structure and only breaks Al-O and Al-F bonds.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ribbe |first=P. H. |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2138/am-2019- |title=The crystal structure of topaz and its relation to physical properties |last2=Gibbs |first2=G. V. |publisher=Mineralogical Society of America |year=1971 |series=The American mineralogist |volume=56 |location=Washington, DC |pages=24–30 |issn=0003-004X}}</ref> This cleavage is diagnostic for this mineral. The 2V optical angle in topaz can range from 48° to 69.5°.<ref name=":4" /> Low fluorine content yields a smaller angle and high fluorine content yields a larger angle.

==Characteristics==
[[File:Topaz-k-182a.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Blue topaz crystal]]
Topaz in its natural state is colorless, often with a greyish cast. It also occurs as a golden brown to yellow color which makes it sometimes confused with [[citrine quartz|citrine]], a less valuable gemstone.<ref name="HurrellJohnson2016">{{cite book |first1=Karen |last1=Hurrell |first2=Mary L. |last2=Johnson |title=Gemstones: A Complete Color Reference for Precious and Semiprecious Stones of the World |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KLSTDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA169 |date=15 December 2016 |publisher=Book Sales |isbn=978-0-7858-3498-4 |page=169}}</ref> The [[specific gravity]] of all shades of topaz, however, means that it is considerably heavier than citrine (about 25% per volume) and this difference in weight can be used to distinguish two stones of equal volume. Also, if the volume of a given stone can be determined, its weight if it were topaz can be established and then checked with a sensitive scale. Likewise, glass stones are also much lighter than equally sized topaz.

A variety of impurities and treatments may make topaz wine red, pale gray, reddish-orange, pale green, or pink (rare), and opaque to translucent/transparent. The pink and red varieties come from chromium replacing aluminium in its crystalline structure.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gübelin |first=Edward |last2=Graziani |first2=Giorgio |last3=Kazmi |first3=A. H. |date=1986-10-01 |title=Pink Topaz from Pakistan |url=http://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/fall-1986-pink-topaz-g%EF%BF%BDbelin |journal=Gems & Gemology |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=140–151 |doi=10.5741/GEMS.22.3.140 |issn=0016-626X|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
[[File:Topaz with irradiated fragment - Smithsonian Museum of Natural History - 2012-05-17.jpg|thumb|Large topaz gemstone and small irradiated topaz fragment on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.]]
Imperial topaz is yellow, pink (rare, if natural), or pink-orange. Brazilian imperial topaz can often have a bright yellow to deep golden brown hue, sometimes even violet. Many brown or pale topazes are treated to make them bright yellow, gold, pink, or violet colored. Some imperial topaz stones can fade from exposure to sunlight for an extended period of time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nhm.org/research/minsci/impgem.htm |title=Imperial topaz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513005018/http://www.nhm.org/research/minsci/impgem.htm |archive-date=2009-05-13 |df=dmy-all |publisher=[[Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County]] |website=nhm.org}}</ref><ref name="Emporia">{{cite web |url=http://academic.emporia.edu/abersusa/go340/topaz.htm |title=Gemstones & Gemology – Topaz |publisher=[[Emporia State University]] |website=academic.emporia.edu}}</ref> Naturally occurring blue topaz is quite rare. Typically, colorless, gray, or pale yellow and blue material is heat treated and [[Gemstone irradiation|irradiated]] to produce a more desired darker blue.<ref name="Emporia" /> Mystic topaz is a colorless topaz that has been artificially coated via a [[vapor deposition]] process giving it a rainbow effect on its surface.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.farlang.com/art/mystic-topaz |title=Mystic topaz, consumer information |website=Farlang.com |date=2008-10-30 |access-date=2011-10-29 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>[[File:Topaz-k312b.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|left|Sherry-colored topaz from Utah, USA]]

Although very hard, topaz must be treated with greater care than some other minerals of similar hardness (such as [[corundum]]) because of a weakness of atomic bonding of the stone's molecules along one or another axial plane (whereas diamonds, for example, are composed of carbon atoms bonded to each other with equal strength along all of its planes). This gives topaz a tendency to break along such a cleavage plane if struck with sufficient force.<ref name="Newman2015">{{cite book |first=Renee |last=Newman |title=Gem & Jewelry Pocket Guide: A traveler's guide to buying diamonds, colored gems, pearls, gold and platinum jewelry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wK5UDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT104 |date=7 January 2015 |publisher=BookBaby |isbn=978-0-929975-49-8 |page=104}}</ref>

Topaz has a relatively low [[index of refraction]] for a gemstone, and so stones with large facets or tables do not sparkle as readily as stones cut from minerals with higher refractive indices, though quality colorless topaz sparkles and shows more "life" than similarly cut quartz. When given a typical "brilliant" cut, topaz may either show a sparkling table facet surrounded by dead-looking crown facets or a ring of sparkling crown facets with a dull well-like table.<ref name="Dake,2013">{{cite book |author=Dake, H. |title=The Art of Gem Cutting – including cabochons, faceting, Sspheres, tumbling, and special techniques |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ybB8CgAAQBAJ&pg=PT105 |date=16 April 2013 |publisher=Read Books Limited |isbn=978-1-4474-8480-6 |page=105}}</ref>  It also takes an exceptionally fine polish, and can sometimes be distinguished from citrine by its slippery feel alone (quartz cannot be polished to this level of smoothness).<ref name=ref1>{{cite book|title=Gem Testing|author=B. Anderson|date=2011|publisher=Read Books}}</ref>

Another method of distinguishing topaz from quartz is by placing the unset stone in a solution of [[bromoform]] or [[methylene iodide]].  Quartz will invariably float in these solutions, whereas topaz will sink.<ref name=ref1/>

==Localities and occurrence==
[[File:Topaze gisements.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Main topaz producing countries]]
Topaz is commonly associated with [[silicic]] igneous rocks of the [[granite]] and [[rhyolite]] type. It typically crystallizes in granitic [[pegmatites]]<ref name=":0" /> or in vapor cavities in rhyolite lava flows including those at [[Topaz Mountain]] in western Utah and [[Chivinar]] in South America. It can be found with [[fluorite]] and [[cassiterite]] in various areas including the [[Ural Mountains|Ural]] and [[Ilmensky Mountains|Ilmensky]] mountains of Russia, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, the Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Pakistan, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Brazil, Mexico; [[Flinders Island]], Australia; Nigeria, Ukraine and the United States. Topaz was found around the time of the 1700s in a pegmatite formation within the central [[Ural Mountains|Urals Mountains]] in Russia.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:Topaz from Pakistan.jpg|thumb|Topaz varieties found in Pakistan.]]
Brazil is one of the largest producers of topaz,<ref>{{cite web |access-date=November 23, 2016 |url=https://www.ayanajewellery.com/blog/topaz |title=Topaz Guide |publisher=Ayana Jewellery |archive-date=November 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124030229/https://www.ayanajewellery.com/blog/topaz |url-status=dead }}</ref> some clear topaz crystals from Brazilian pegmatites can reach boulder size and weigh hundreds of pounds. The Topaz of [[Aurangzeb]], observed by [[Jean Baptiste Tavernier]] weighed {{convert|157.75|carat}}.<ref>[http://www.farlang.com/gemstones/bahadur_handbook_of_precious_stones/page_128 Famous and Notheworthy Topazes] Rao Bahadur, A Handbook of Precious Stones, Geological Survey of India</ref> The [[American Golden Topaz]], a more recent gem, weighed {{convert|22,892.5|carat}}. Large, vivid blue topaz specimens from the St. Anns mine in [[Zimbabwe]] were found in the late 1980s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Topaz (Blue)|url=https://www.capeminerals.co.za/topaz-blue|website=Cape Minerals|access-date=7 February 2017|archive-date=8 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208132822/https://www.capeminerals.co.za/topaz-blue|url-status=dead}}</ref> Colorless and light-blue varieties of topaz are found in [[Precambrian]] granite in [[Mason County, Texas]]<ref>[https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/gpm01 Handbook of Texas Online – Mineral Resources and Mining]. Tshaonline.org. Retrieved on 2011-10-29.</ref> within the [[Llano Uplift]]. There is no commercial mining of topaz in that area.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070117051633/http://www.masontxcoc.com/topaz.htm Mason, Texas Chamber of Commerce Web site]</ref> It is possible to synthesize topaz.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rosenberg |first=Philip E. |date=1972 |title=Compositional variations in synthetic topaz |url=http://www.minsocam.org/ammin/AM57/AM57_169.pdf |journal=American Mineralogist |volume=57 |pages=169–187}}</ref>

== Mining ==
Large-scale topaz mining typically uses [[Open-pit mining|open pit]] and underground mining to extract the gem.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Australia |first=Geoscience |date=2020-02-07 |title=Topaz |url=https://www.ga.gov.au/education/minerals-energy/australian-mineral-facts/topaz |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=Geoscience Australia |language=en}}</ref> The waste material is discarded using large machines to transport it away while the valuable ore is washed and sorted to recover the topaz gems. In smaller-scale mines, dry sieving is used in [[Alluvium|alluvial]] environments by shoveling the material into sieves to separate the gems from unwanted dust and debris.<ref name=":5" /> The topaz can then be selected by hand from the remaining material. Mined topaz is then sent to be processed for use in jewelry by polishing the gem and treating it to achieve the desired color.<ref name=":5" />

Mining for topaz can cause some environmental concerns mostly associated with larger-scale operations.<ref name=":6" /> The introduction of a large open pit mine into an environment leads to modification of the land around it to make it accessible to workers. After use of such mines is over, they are often refilled with loose sediments left over from the mining process.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=7 Negative Environmental Impacts Of The Gem Mining Industry |url=https://biron-gems.com/biggest-environmental-impacts-of-gemstone-mining/ |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=BIRON® Gems |language=en-US}}</ref> These loose sediments can be washed away to other areas, cutting off water features, destroying farmland, and creating a threat of [[Landslide|landslides]]. The pollution produced by mining can impact the environment around it and damage its health.<ref name=":7" /> [[Deforestation]] undergone to create the mine, along with the machinery used during the mining process, adds [[Greenhouse gas|greenhouse gasses]] to the atmosphere. Deforestation also removes habitats and [[biodiversity]] from a large area of natural space. These disruptions to the ecosystem can be challenging to wildlife and local populations. Water, also a large component of mining operations, is drawn away from neighboring communities to create a lack of water.<ref name=":6" /> [[Tailings]] leftover from the mining process can leach contaminants into nearby water systems and can contaminate the drinking water of local communities.<ref name=":7" />

Some ways humans can be impacted by gem mining is through danger in mines and inadequate compensation.<ref name=":7" /> Accidents such as collapsing mines and machinery malfunctioning can put human life in danger. Those working in the mines can also be exposed to harmful chemicals and [[heavy metals]] that can impact their health. For income, there can be an unequal dispersal of the funds made from gem mining between land owners, laborers, and the operators of the mine. In illegal mining operations, there can be more money given to miners, however, these operations have fewer regulations and more dangerous environments.<ref name=":7" /><gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:TopazMountainByPhilKonstantin.jpg|[[Topaz Mountain]], Utah, United States
File:Topaz-200562.jpg|Red topaz from Tepetate, Municipio de Villa de Arriaga, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
File:Large Topaz Gemstones.jpg|Facet cut topaz gemstones in various colors
File:YellowTopaz.jpeg|Yellow topaz in stepped kite-shaped cut
File:TOPAZE9.jpg|Imperial Topaz of Minas Gerais
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Minerals}}
* [[Agate]]
* [[Beryl]]
* [[Opal]]

==References==
{{reflist|25em}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q134985|c=Category:Topaz|wikt=topaz|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no|s=no|q=no}}
* [http://gemstone.org/education/gem-by-gem/206-topaz Topaz] from the International Colored Gemstone Association 
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130827193505/http://geology.utah.gov/utahgeo/rockmineral/collecting/topaz.htm Topaz and other minerals found at Topaz Mountain, Juab County], Utah Geological Survey
* {{Cite EB9|wstitle=Topaz|volume=23|short=x}}

{{Gemstone}}
{{Jewelry}}
{{Mohs}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Aluminium minerals]]
[[Category:Gemstones]]
[[Category:Nesosilicates]]
[[Category:Orthorhombic minerals]]
[[Category:Minerals in space group 62]]
[[Category:Luminescent minerals]]