From the Ouro Preto mines of Brazil, this diamond-cut topaz is a clear and brilliant natural beauty with a rich sparkle.
Topaz is from the Greek word "topazion," which stems from the Sanskrit "tapas" meaning fire. This blazing gem has long been associated with the Egyptian island of Topazios, now known as St. John's Island, found in the Red Sea. While the Old Testament had biblical scriptures referring to topaz, their true discovery is pre-historic and without definite dates or places. The first modern-day topaz gems were yellow crystals discovered in 1737 in Germany. Topaz appears in a variety of colors, but colorless topaz is its purest state. Topaz has a clear luster and perfect cleavage, a quality it shares with diamond. It reveals a distinct play of colors. This transparent to translucent gemstone is a silicate mineral of aluminum and fluorine. A 1,680-carat stone set in the Portuguese crown jewels, known as the Braganza Diamond, is actually a colorless topaz.
LOCATION: Brazil
Topaz has been mined in Brazil, Burma, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, Russia and Sri Lanka. We acquire most of our topaz from the mines of Minas Gerais in Brazil, a major supplier of this gem. This white topaz stone is sourced from a private collector who amassed an assortment of stones from the Ouro Preto mines of Minas Gerais, Brazil.