TOPAZ

1768

The royal court in Portugal celebrates the discovery of Imperial topaz in 1768.

271 KILOS

A transparent topaz crystal discovered in Minas Gerais, Brazil weighs an astounding 596 pounds.

10 MEV

Irradiating colorless topaz with electrons at energy of 10 million electron volts creates a sky blue color.

FACTS

• Mineral: Topaz
• Chemistry: Al₂(F,OH)₂SiO₄
• Color: Yellow, orange, brown, pink to red to purple red, blue, light green and colorless
• Refractive index: 1.619 to 1.627
• Birefringence: 0.008 to 0.010
• Specific gravity: 3.53
• Mohs Hardness: 8

source:gia.edu