Ofttimes thought of as blue, topaz comes in a variety of colors from clear to pink, yellow, golden and brown. Actually naturally occurring blue topaz is extremely rare and pale in color. The majority of blue topaz on the market today has been heat treated and irradiated to produce the lovely blue color we equate with topaz.

The color varieties of topaz are often identified simply by hue name, blue topaz, pink topaz, and so forth, but there are also a couple of special trade names. Imperial Topaz is a medium reddish orange to orange-red and is one of the gem’s most expensive colors. Sherry Topaz, named after the sherry wine, is a yellowish brown or brownish yellow to orange. Stones in this color range are often called precious topaz.

The golden color of yellow topaz and Imperial Topaz is reminiscent of the sun which is probably why ancient Egyptians believed that topaz received its color from Ra, the sun god and the Romans associated topaz with Jupiter, their god of the sun. On the other hand the ancient Greeks believed that topaz had the power to increase one’s strength and make its wearer invisible in cases of emergency. In Europe, during the Renaissance, people thought that topaz could break magic spells and dispel anger and for centuries many people in India have believed that topaz worn above the heart assures long life, beauty, and intelligence.