>                                              Imperial Topaz                  

Imperial Topaz is the  rare golden, pink,pinkish purple, orange and reddish orange gems. Topaz is probally
named for the place it was first discovered, an island in the Red Sea formerly named Topazos. 
                                                                                                   
        

 Imperial Topaz, also called "Precious Topaz", is the most valuable of all the topazes, and can be                                                                                                               
very expensive. Rich pink and reddish orange is the most valuable and can cost as much as 3500 dollars
per carat. Imperial colors of dark orange can cost slightly less, about 1000 dollars for a large 10 carat
stone.

Colorless topaz is irradiated and heated to produce blue topaz,the most commonly used in jewelry
today. The three main colors are sky blue, swiss blue and the darkest is london blue. London blue is the
most valuable of the blue topazes.                                   

Topaz is 8 on the Mohs Scale of hardness and is found in hugh sizes that are of gem quality,and are generally
clean. Imperial colors are not found in hugh sizes, it is rare to find the pink and red in sizes more than 5
carats. Years ago all of the yellow stones were called topaz. Imperial colors like citrine and yellow heat
treated amethyst are often called "Madeira" and "Golden" topaz" and have been sold as such. "Imperial Topaz"
is used to distinguish between quartz and precious topaz.   

Imperial topaz can often be confused with citrine (heat treated amethyst) and smoky quartz and has been sold as
Imperial and Smoky topazes. Flourite,chrysoberyl, danburite, diamond, precious beryl,ruby,sapphire,kunzite,
spinel,tourmaline,phenakite, and zircon can all be confused with Imperial Topaz.

Deposits of Imperial Topaz are found in Afghanistan, Australia, Burma, Chins, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, Pakistan,
Russia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and the United States.

An Imperial Topaz gem weighing 93.6  carats was found in a mine in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil and is now
in the Smithsonian Instute. It is one of the largest faceted genstones in the world. Mines in Ouro Preto, Brazil
are the most important suppliers of imperial topaz today.