Topaz Engagement Rings
&
Wedding Bands
Topaz engagement rings hold a gorgeous and long lasting gemstone, and topaz is a perfect gemstone for every day wear wedding rings. However, there are a lot of misunderstandings surrounding topaz, and some types of enhanced topaz gemstones should not be used for rings or any other type of jewelry. Below you will find a complete description of the different types of topaz colors, prices, enhancements, special care, and notable topaz warnings to help you find the right topaz for your ring. Topaz Properties: Durability = Very Good
Hardness = 8.0
Refractive Index = 1.607 - 1.627
Specific Gravity = 3.53 - 3.56
What is Topaz? Topaz is a type of silicate mineral, and it has been a popular gemstone for many years. In its natural state, topaz is usually a colorless transparent gemstone. In some cases topaz may be found naturally in light gray, very light blue, brown, or light yellow colors. Rarely, topaz may be found naturally in deep pink or red-yellow colors. Most topaz engagement rings sold in today's jewelry market have been enhanced in some way to produce more vibrant colors. Topaz is found in a number of countries including: Afghanistan, Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, India, Italy, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, United States, and Zimbabwe, The Meaning of Topaz: Topaz is believed to be a gemstone that calms tumultuous emotions while also drawing energy to the wearers to help them deal with draining events. Topaz is the classic and modern birthstone for the month of November. Blue Topaz Engagement Rings: Very light almost steel gray blue topaz is found rarely in nature, but the color is often so light that it is not very desirable for use in jewelry and rings. Most topaz sold today is colorless topaz which has been irradiated and then heated to produce the beautiful shades of blue that are most often associated with blue topaz engagement rings. This type of treatment, labeled with an R, has an excellent stability rating, and the stone requires no special care after this enhancement.
Blue topaz engagement rings are more affordable than most other colors, with prices ranging from $8.00 per carat to $32.00 per carat. The more highly valued blue topaz are the darker colors such as the 'Sierra Blue,' 'Swiss Blue,' and the 'London Blue.' Most of the value of a blue topaz lies not within the gemstone but in the labor it took to cut the stone. A commercial cut stone is often available for $40 to $50 dollars, but a custom cut stone can sell for as much as $150 dollars. Extremely unique cuts which required a lot of labor may sell for even higher prices. Due to the fact that most topaz is transparent with a high degree of clarity, clarity does not have a big impact on price. For the blue topaz, price per carat does not increase by much as the carat size increases (you can purchase a 1 carat blue topaz gemstone for not much less than a 5 carat blue topaz). Although, blue topaz engagement rings may cost much more than the gemstone, especially if the gemstone has been set with diamonds or if the ring is made with metals such as platinum and palladium.
Imperial Topaz: Imperial topaz is topaz which is pink or a pink-orange color. Almost all imperial topaz on today's market has been treated or enhanced. Most of these gemstones were originally very lightly tinted topaz which was then irradiated and heated to produce intense pinks, reds, and pink-orange colors. Labeled with an R, this type of enhancement used to produce imperial topaz has an excellent to good stability rating. A special care note: enhanced imperial topaz should not be exposed to extreme high heat or the color may fade. As with blue topaz, imperial topaz is priced most often on a custom cut and on the brilliance, fire, and intensity of the colors. Imperial topaz which has not been treated is quite rare and fetches some of the highest prices on the topaz market. Enhanced pink topaz engagement rings are priced on average around $30.00 per carat, but rings with gemstones higher than 5 carats in size sell for much higher per carat prices. Bright intense pink colors often sell for higher than average prices. Real pink topaz which has not been enhanced sells for thousands of dollars per carat. Buyers should beware when they see affordable 'natural pink topaz' for sale - this is actually a misleading term which some sellers use, because after all - topaz, even treated topaz, is still a naturally occurring mineral. However, unless the 'natural pink topaz' has a high price tag, it is regular topaz which has been artificially enhanced. Precious Topaz: Yellow and Orange Precious topaz is a term used to describe the bright, almost delicious looking, yellow and orange topaz gemstones. As with the other types of topaz, the dramatic yellow and orange colors are produced by irradiating and heating colorless and lightly tinted topaz. These treatments have an excellent stability rating for the yellow and orange colors, and the stones require no special care after treatments. Yellow and orange topaz engagement rings are usually priced around $20.00 - $30.00 per carat for sizes less than 5 carats; topaz gemstones of these colors over 5 carats are on average around $60.00 - $80.00 per carat. The price for orange and yellow topaz may also rise dramatically for gemstones which have an especially rich orange, red, and pink undertones. A custom cut stone which maximizes brilliance and fire will also command higher prices. Mystic Topaz: Mystic topaz reflects all the colors of a rainbow, and comes in rainbow shades ranging from dark to beautiful pale rainbows. Mystic topaz was not developed until 1998, and it really was not until 2003 that this type of colored topaz began to increase in popularity. Now, mystic topaz is becoming extremely popular but fortunately prices for this beautiful gemstone are still quite affordable. Just like most of the other topaz varieties sold, mystic topaz begins life as a colorless topaz gemstone. Only a few patented techniques can be used to create the different shades of mystic topaz, and some types of mystic topaz gemstones will not last long in rings which are worn every day. Mystic topaz which is created through a coating of the surface has a medium stability rating and requires special care; these gemstones should not be exposed to ultrasonic cleaners, steam cleaners, harsh chemicals, and care should be taken not to scratch or chip the stone. A more recently patented process, known as diffusion, treats colorless topaz gemstones by penetrating a few millimeters into the surface of the stone. This type of process is much more stable, and the gemstone does not require special care once it has received this type of treatment. Signity, a subsidiary of D.Swarovski & Co., purchased the company which held the rights to this patent, and they are now producing and selling diffusion treated mystic topaz. Diffusion is also being used to produce other colors such as medium-dark blue, champagne yellow, pink to red, and teal. If you are interested in a mystic topaz ring, especially for the purposes of topaz engagement rings or wedding rings, it is best to purchase mystic topaz which has been created through the diffusion process because of its higher stability and durability rating. Mystic topaz generally sells for less than $15.00 per carat, although custom cut or unique cut stones which required a lot of labor are priced higher (usually around $200 dollars for a medium sized gemstone). Brown Topaz: Topaz occurs naturally in brown shades, or it can be produced through irradiation treatments, and some of these brown tones are quite beautiful. The problem is that the color is not stable once it is exposed to light. Due to the instability of this color, brown topaz is not recommended for topaz engagement rings or wedding rings. Green Topaz: Green topaz is a colorless or lightly tinted colorless topaz gemstone which has either been irradiated (labeled R) or treated with diffusion (labeled U) to produce various green shades of color. At this time, irradiation to produce green topaz yields very unstable results and the color often fades once it is exposed to sunlight. Diffusion treatments have produced better results, but the color still seems to fade with time. Currently, experiments are underway to try to develop a better green topaz gemstone. Until that process is discovered, for now it is best to avoid purchasing green topaz engagement rings or wedding rings. Colorless Topaz: Colorless topaz is naturally occurring topaz which has not received any type of treatments. This topaz gemstone is often used for beautiful custom cut topaz rings to showcase the stone's brilliance and fire. Colorless topaz, also known as white topaz, is extremely affordable with prices around $5.00 per carat for even extremely large carat size stones. Custom cut colorless topaz stones will fetch higher prices on average around $50.00 - $100 dollars, although some exceptionally fine cut stones can cost up to $1,000 or more dollars. White topaz engagement rings are a wonderful diamond ring alternative for those looking for affordable wedding rings. Topaz Shopping Tips: Even though topaz is an extremely affordable and abundant gemstone, it is best to deal with a reputable seller when you are purchasing topaz rings. Unfortunately, some sellers are not always honest with buyers about the treatments their topaz has been enhanced with, and whether or not these treatments are stable. Always ask what type of treatment the gemstone has received, and use the information provided above to determine if you wish to purchase a ring that requires any special care. Buyers should also beware of names such as: Gold Topaz, Golden Topaz, Smoky Topaz, Madeira Topaz, Brazilian Topaz, Bahia Topaz, Citrine Topaz Even though these names have the word 'topaz' in them, they are in fact heat treated citrine gemstones which are, on average, valued at lower prices than topaz. Many unwary customers have paid higher prices for these citrine gemstones because they were led to believe they were actually buying topaz gemstones. Always purchase your topaz engagement rings or wedding rings with a refund policy, and if you are concerned about the quality of the ring have the ring evaluated by an independent local jeweler to verify its authenticity and quality.
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