Sky-Blue Topaz Oval Faceted Gemstone

This oval topaz displays a soft, sky-blue color. Use it to create simple earrings or a delicate pendant, pair it with complementary-color gemstones to create matched sets or use it to create more complex, multi-gemstone necklace designs. Topaz is one of the birthstones for November. A hard, usually transparent aluminum silicate gem material, faceted topaz has a brilliance that rivals more expensive gemstones, making it an economical alternative to more costly gems. An "8" on the Mohs scale, topaz is tough and durable, ideal for all types of jewelry. Topaz forms in a orthorhombic structure with crystals that are usually prismatic. Pure topaz is colorless; impurities give the gemstone color. Gemstones can appear in a range of colors, with natural pink being the rarest. Most topaz colors are heat-treated or irradiated to enhance their color. In folklore, this gemstone is believed to dispel sadness and fear, to ward off poisons and to reverse infertility. The oval cut is an even, symmetrical shape but elongated. The arrangement of its facets is similar to that of a round brilliant, designed to maximize light and color.