Topaz Beads
Topaz beads are an aluminum fluorosilicate mineral, one of the hardest stones used in beads, and the colorless variety is the most common form. This collection holds natural clear topaz in a range of finishes and shapes for bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
Appearance
Clear topaz, also sold as white topaz, is colorless and glassy, and beside clear quartz it looks slightly brighter and feels heavier, because topaz has a higher refractive index and density. Strands vary in clarity: the cleanest beads are water-clear, others carry fine veils, included needles or a faint tint of yellow or grey. Topaz in nature also comes in yellow, brown, orange, pink and pale blue, but the pinks and oranges are too costly for beads, so clear is the standard.
A faceted finish is where topaz shows its advantage over quartz: the facets stay sharp and the stone throws back more light, so faceted clear topaz reads closer to diamond than quartz does. A smooth polish gives a bright, slick surface, and raw cuts keep the crystal's own faces. At 8 on the Mohs scale topaz resists scratching from almost everything, but it has one plane of easy cleavage, so a sharp knock can split a bead; store it apart from softer stones it could scratch.
Formation and origin
Topaz crystallizes late in the cooling of granite and rhyolite, when fluorine-rich vapors and fluids collect in pegmatites and gas cavities and grow crystals that can reach enormous size. Colorless topaz has few trace impurities; color centers from natural radiation give blue and brown, and chromium gives pink and red. Brazil's Minas Gerais is the main source of clear topaz, with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Russia and Mexico also producing.
Pairings
Ruby beads: deep red corundum beside colorless topaz, 2 of the hardest beads made, which wear together without scratching.
Green apatite beads: a saturated teal that gives clear topaz color; apatite is far softer, so let the topaz take the knocks.
Emerald beads: included green beryl at 7.5 to 8, close to topaz in hardness, and the two read as a classic gem pairing.
Lore and Meaning
Topaz has long been named a stone of strength and clear thinking: the ancient Greeks believed it gave the wearer strength, and it was later said to make the wearer invisible in danger. Its name may come from the Sanskrit for fire or from Topazios, an island in the Red Sea. Topaz is the birthstone for November, and in modern crystal traditions clear topaz is associated with clarity, truth and the crown chakra. These are traditional beliefs, not claims of physical effect.
