How to identify real topaz at home

Adviсe

• What external features characterize a natural stone and help determine the authenticity of topaz?
• Independent examination, a few simple tips
• Variety of topazes and their finishes

Topaz is a semi-precious stone widely distributed in nature. In addition, topaz is a popular magical mineral. Since ancient times, people have attributed to it the properties of a talisman and an amulet. Beliefs say that natural topaz brings health and well-being to the owner. Among some peoples, topaz is considered a symbol of pleasure and a cheerful life.

This mineral is beautiful and noble, and at the same time costs less than diamonds. These stones are popular in jewelry, used in making all types of jewelry - from cufflinks and pins to necklaces, tiaras, bracelets and earrings.

Topaz in a product plays the role of both a central focus (especially if it is a large stone of a rare shade) and a framing stone, so cutting costs and replacing natural minerals with artificial or fake ones is great.

Photo published by SUNLIGHT Brilliant (@sunlightbrilliant) Mar 3, 2016 at 6:48 PST

Modern technologies are so developed that even glass can be successfully disguised as a jewelry stone, and it’s easy to do a number of tricks with minerals that are similar in structure to precious and semi-precious stones (such as quartz). To ensure that your purchase is pleasing to the eye and is fairly paid for, and not “overpaid” for stones that are not named topazes, carefully evaluate the precious item before you buy.

BIG DIFFERENCE: PROCESSED OR ARTIFICIAL

Processed stones stand apart from real and fake gems.

It is difficult to call processed minerals “artificial”: they are almost identical to real ones.

Modern technologies

High-quality artificial nanocrystals are an excellent development of scientists from Russia, which makes it possible to grow synthesized stones of the highest quality in a laboratory environment. The characteristics and properties of such a gem repeat all the mineralogical characteristics of natural topaz.

Only a specialist can determine whether the stone in front of him is real or not. The presented specimens have the same high hardness as topaz, and they have a uniform color. These minerals are simply ideal, so it is impossible to give an expert assessment simply after inspection.

Artificial topazes are produced using the hydrothermal method. To do this, you need to take certain components, start melting and a chemical reaction between them. The result of this work is an almost perfect stone.

There is another method of “noble counterfeiting” of natural precious stones. The raw material for making “counterfeits” is quartz. Its price is significantly lower than topaz and such production is considered economically profitable. It is important that when making a purchase, the seller warns that this is only a replica of natural topaz and that the price is not unreasonably inflated.

VARIETY OF TOPAZES AND FINISHES

Blue

The blue shade is the most recognizable: most people associate topaz with it. Shades range from pale to deep blue, or “London”.

Synthetic topaz is usually also blue. Rare natural cornflower blue minerals are mined in Brazil.

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Champagne

Truly regal and luxurious - a champagne-colored mineral. Such stones are often counterfeited - after all, the shade is rarely found in nature and costs hundreds of dollars.

Imperial

Imperial are called yellow, orange or red topazes. Despite their beauty, these stones are not in demand.

The rarest imperials are pink minerals. By the way, a natural stone is unmistakably distinguished by its pink hue: like colorless topaz, such topaz cannot be faked.

Rauchtopaz

“Smoky” (translated from German) topaz is nothing more than a type of quartz. Sellers may “forget” to explain this difference. The gem is a beautiful and deep brown shade, but should be sold as quartz.

How to distinguish topaz from a fake

Before you go shopping for expensive jewelry with the desired topaz, you definitely need to understand how to distinguish it from a fake. Jewelers today create masterful copies of natural gems, earning decent sums from it.

First, let's figure out how to distinguish topaz from aquamarine - such replacements also cannot be called a rarity in the jewelry world.

It is important to remember that aquamarine will never give such rich color and shine as topaz. To determine the authenticity of the proposed specimen, specialists have a refractometer with them; this device will accurately show which mineral the seller is offering to purchase from him. It is important to remember that aquamarine is lighter than topaz and this can be felt by a person even without special equipment.

There is another rather insidious counterfeit of an expensive gem - this is the artificial mineral cubic zirconia. Such a specimen is quite close in appearance to an expensive gem. Cubic zirconia can be of different colors:

• yellow;
• orange;
• blue.

To give a final conclusion about the quality of the stone, it is necessary to conduct a laboratory analysis of the crystal lattice of the presented sample. You can distinguish topaz from cubic zirconia yourself. The budget analogue does not have the effect of pleochroism - it is simply not able to change the hue when the lighting or viewing angle changes.

You can also see many glass and quartz counterfeits of topaz on the market. The cost of such stones is very low, and the market price of the product is high, because it is presented as a piece of jewelry.

There are a couple of features that will prevent you from confusing an expensive topaz with a cheap fake:

• quartz and glass have a rough surface - real stone has smooth edges;
• the mineral must have small defects in its structure, visible inclusions - a fake has an ideal appearance, where there is no room for imperfection;
• In most cases, an expensive stone is framed in gold or platinum; if on the counter you see a lot of jewelry with topaz in silver, this is most likely a batch of cheap fakes;
• glass will always show itself to be too rich and deep in color, which simply does not exist in nature;
• There is another option on how to distinguish a fake - hold the stone in your hand, if it heats up quickly, they are trying to fool you, because the topaz will be cool for a long time;
• all too shiny stones are fake gems; the mineral has a deep, muted shine;
• One of the easiest ways to identify a fake is the electrification of the surface; if you rub the surface with a woolen cloth, and small particles are not attracted to the stone, this is a fake.

If you have carried out the most well-known authentication tests, but doubts remain, ask the seller for documents for the goods. Real stones are inspected by professional appraisers. If there are no documents or the seller simply refuses to provide them, you can refuse the possible purchase. Such behavior indirectly confirms that the product on the counter is fake.

Perfect fake

We have already figured out that in a laboratory it is possible to create an ideal copy of a real stone. It’s worth remembering the name of such a product – nanotopazes. It is also important to take into account their main characteristics:

• hardness – hydrothermal stones are grown so that the hardness mark tends, like that of natural stones, to 8 on the Mohs scale;
• density - it will be slightly less than that of real gems, artificial specimens are lighter, you can easily feel it;
• absence of defects - small inclusions and cracks can be seen in the structure of a natural mineral, but all this is unusual for an artificial analogue;
• ideal shape and cut - in the process of growing nanotopazes, they are given the desired shape, and after cutting it becomes simply ideal, there can be no errors here;
• perfect color - nanotopazes are 1-2 shades brighter than natural stones, some even call this an advantage of such a product.

What zodiac signs is it suitable for?

The talisman stone must be selected in accordance with the horoscope so that energetic compatibility with it is achieved. Depending on the predominant shade of mystic topaz, it will have a different effect. Who should wear the mystical quartz topaz stone?

It will be the most suitable talisman for Scorpios and Geminis, for them it will best demonstrate all its properties; is categorically not suitable for Taurus, but for all other signs it will have a moderate positive effect.

Taurus

This is the only zodiac sign for which the stone will be hostile. There are numerous cases where the mystic topaz attracted all sorts of troubles to Taurus and provoked a break with loved ones and depression. Therefore, they need to be wary of this gem.

Twins

An ideal talisman for people of this sign. It will help you find spiritual harmony, will smooth out negative emotions and anger, will have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, and will be a talisman against negative magical effects.

The stone is chosen according to the zodiac sign

Cancer

Perfectly suits those born under this sign, gives them prudence, and will help Cancer women listen more to common sense and not commit rash acts, and also strengthens intuition.

a lion

This gem is perfect for Leo, helping them to reveal their sensuality, sparkle with the best sides of their personality, extinguish dangerous passions, promote mutual understanding with others and promote career advancement, and gain financial stability.

Virgo

Virgo is ideal for Mystic Topaz like no other sign. It has a beneficial effect on emotions, reduces dependence on them when making decisions, helps to be independent and optimistic, and also allows you to forgive yourself for mistakes made in the past and enjoy life.

Scorpion

Recommended for this sign, it makes it more insightful, helps to avoid extremes, reduces the level of irritability, improves health, develops intuitive abilities, and gives confidence.

Sagittarius

It makes representatives of this sign more purposeful, helps to concentrate energy on achieving the main goal, not to waste energy on trifles, and also gives confidence and promotes making the right independent decisions.

Capricorn

Protects the Capricorn family, helps in establishing relationships with loved ones, and also provides protection from rash actions that lead to sad consequences.

Fish

Relieves tension, gives positive energy, helps to find balance, protects against melancholy, dangers, and helps maintain health.

Mystic Topaz

Secrets of precious stones: TOPAZ or the stone that all girls dream of | YourBestBlog

Topaz gemstone. Properties, photo of topaz. Gems kamen-znak.ru

MYSTIC TOPAZ

Origin.

Cubic zirconia consists of a mineral, zirconium oxide, discovered in 1937. It is produced artificially and is one of the imitations of diamond.

Cubic zirconia became popular in the 1980s when Swarovski began producing and promoting it for use in jewelry.

Today, cubic zirconia is available in colorful colors and as a diamond imitation. In terms of appearance, cubic zirconia is considered the closest to a real diamond.

White topaz is a variety of the silicate topaz mineral that comes in a variety of colors.

Unlike cubic zirconia, which is obtained synthetically, white topaz is a natural stone.

Durability.

Cubic zirconia is relatively hard and scores 8.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

But in terms of durability, it is far from a diamond (diamond is rated 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale). This means that cubic zirconia is easier to damage than diamond.

White topaz is close to cubic zirconia in terms of hardness (8 on the Mohs Hardness Scale), but it is softer.

In principle, none of these stones are comparable in strength to a real diamond. However, unlike cubic zirconia, white topaz is easier to scratch or break, and its color is more strongly affected by high temperatures.

In general, if durability is important to you in a stone, the best choice is cubic zirconia; it will serve you much longer and its edges will not wear off as quickly as happens with white topaz.

Types of fakes

When processing these stones, jewelers often equip topaz with auxiliary rhinestones or special colored glasses. This does not affect the properties of the stone and is not a sign of a fake. This stone is very popular and is not very expensive, so jewelry craftsmen make products with topaz more pleasing to the eye and add gloss and an unusual iridescent hue. The first thing you need to pay attention to is the name. Rauchtopaz has nothing in common with topaz. Rauchtopaz is the scientific name for smoky quartz. Very often, unscrupulous sellers pass off rauchtopaz gems as semi-precious crystals. When answering the question of how to distinguish topaz from quartz, you should resort to knowledge about their physical properties: hardness and density.

On topic: Types of topaz. Yellow, pink, green, blue and white

As previously noted, topazes come in different colors; you can find dark red, amber, blue or soft pink shades. Most often, natural crystal has a light shade. Such minerals are found very often, their extraction is not difficult, and therefore their price is low. It follows from this that it is not profitable to counterfeit such stones. Rare pink and red minerals are counterfeited much more often, because their price is higher than average. In order to be absolutely sure that you are paying a tidy sum for natural topaz, it is better to hand it over to jewelry professionals who know exactly how to distinguish real topaz from a fake.

The healing properties of the mineral

For hundreds of years, topazes have been reliable assistants for lithotherapists. They are recommended to be worn as jewelry and used in complex treatment for:

• women's diseases;
• asthma attacks;
• anemia;
• throat diseases;
• joint diseases;
• pain in the spine;
• insomnia;
• nervous disorders;
• kidney diseases;
• liver diseases;
• diseases of the spleen;
• gallbladder diseases.

Lithotherapists advise wearing jewelry with topaz for a long time for:

• increasing immunity;
• getting rid of chronic diseases;
• improving metabolism;
• treatment of hormonal disorders;
• <prevention of colds.