I bought a pretty ring. Can you tell me more about the stone?
April 25, 2017 4:19 PM Subscribe
I bought this pretty handmade ring on Etsy last week. The images posted by the seller showed that the yellow topaz stone reflects multiple colors, especially pink. In person it is just as beautiful. I don't really know what to call this kind of topaz. My Google-fu has not helped me very much.
I know topaz is not expensive, and often treated by irradiation to achieve colors not found in nature. How would you describe the type and color of this stone? I love it! I never knew topaz could refract light like this, except for "mystic topaz." I don't think this is mystic topaz. Is it Imperial Topaz? Is it possibly glass? I will think it is beautiful regardless. I did not spend much.
Thanks for your input in advance!
Picture 1
Picture 2
I know topaz is not expensive, and often treated by irradiation to achieve colors not found in nature. How would you describe the type and color of this stone? I love it! I never knew topaz could refract light like this, except for "mystic topaz." I don't think this is mystic topaz. Is it Imperial Topaz? Is it possibly glass? I will think it is beautiful regardless. I did not spend much.
Thanks for your input in advance!
Picture 1
Picture 2
Best answer: "Mystic topaz" appears to be a name for topaz treated with a coating that produces the iridescence your photos show. If you've ever seen a pair of binoculars with an iridescent sheen on the lenses - it's a similar treatment. It could well be a real topaz underneath - clear topaz is not very expensive. The main thing to be aware of is that this is a coating & therefore can be damaged relatively easily, it is not a through-and-through color.
Imperial topaz usually refers to golden-yellow topaz, colored all the way through. Properly, it should be the natural color of the stone, and if it is, it is pretty expensive, often hundreds of dollars a carat. And it doesn't have the iridescence your stone has in any event.
posted by mr vino at 5:52 PM on April 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
Imperial topaz usually refers to golden-yellow topaz, colored all the way through. Properly, it should be the natural color of the stone, and if it is, it is pretty expensive, often hundreds of dollars a carat. And it doesn't have the iridescence your stone has in any event.
posted by mr vino at 5:52 PM on April 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you for the input. It is good to know that the stone may be coated and can be damaged more easily than I'd expect, since topaz is pretty hard. I may contact the seller and ask about that. I appreciate the time y'all took to answer.
posted by sister nunchaku of love and mercy at 6:16 AM on April 26, 2017
posted by sister nunchaku of love and mercy at 6:16 AM on April 26, 2017
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posted by fingersandtoes at 4:56 PM on April 25, 2017 [1 favorite]