TOPAZ & OPAL NECKLACE

During ancient times, just about any stone could be referred to as topaz. Although many people acquaint the stone as being yellow in color, the crystals can be found in several different colors and some are actually colorless. It can also be found in colors of blue, orange, brown, red, pink and green. Some of these varieties can fade in color if left exposed to sunlight too long. The blue colored gems are the most widely sold and the most commonly used in silver topaz jewelry. Perhaps the most impressive piece of topaz currently displayed to the public is the awesome 70.4 carat red stone which is displayed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The largest known pink variety is nearly 80 carats in weight and the colorless or transparent variety has been found in beautiful crystal formations weighing over 100 pounds. Topaz jewelry is very popular in this country and it wears very well due to its hardness and durability The crystals can be found in many locations in all parts of the world.
 
The sole commercial source for the red, yellow, orange and brown varieties is Brazil, with the pink stone being produced in Russia, Pakistan and Brazil. Green topaz, which is the rarest variety, comes only from the Ural Mountains in Russia. The natural blue colored gem comes primarily from Russia, Nigeria and in the United States from Colorado, Maine and New Hampshire. The most abundant form of the gem is the colorless variety and the crystals are found in Brazil, Nigeria, India and China. Topaz jewelry can become quite pricey with a wide fluctuation in price depending upon the quality, size and color of the stone or stones used.. Precious topaz in very small yellowish gemstones range from under $100 per carat to the larger and more orange colored stones selling for hundreds of dollars per carat. The very fine pink or reddish-orange gems in larger sizes can actually sell for thousands of dollars per carat.