Topaz Bracelets

Bracelets Set With Topaz Gemstones

Topaz or Not Topaz

While experts in the past classified gems by some basic observational tests, gemologists today can classify minerals using advanced science and test the actual molecular makeup. This means to be a topaz, a gemstone must have a base of silicate aluminum and fluorine.

The beauty of this stone is that once the base is in place, inclusions of other minerals such as iron create a beautiful array of colors, ranging from golden brown to wine red to blue to shades of orange and yellow, and even pink and purple. Sometimes a miner will uncover a cluster of topaz, where individual crystals are a different color, depending on the direction they grew (called pleochroic).

Because of the variety of coloration, topaz has been mistaken for another gemstone to the naked eye. Sometimes citrine, which has a quartz base, is thought to be a yellow topaz. Some shades of blue topaz look like aquamarine. Topaz's base composition is actually colorless and sometimes misread to be a diamond. In fact, the most famous mistake came in the form of the "Braganza Diamond," which craftsmen set in the Portuguese Crown Jewels. Its 1680 carats were later tested to be a topaz.

Why Topaz in a Bracelet?

Because of its rainbow of colors and hardness in composition, topaz crystals make great gemstones for bracelets. They can be set in a variety of materials, including gold, silver, and enamel. Topaz takes well to all kinds of settings, allowing light to pass through at various angles to create the desired effect of the jewelry.

With the larger availability of topaz, it can be used in place of other more expensive stones. Stunning sapphires and aquamarines are often confused with blue topaz. White topaz can sparkle just as nicely as diamonds on your wrist at a fraction of the cost. And since topaz comes in such a variety of colors, it can do just as well in a bracelet consisting of a collection of hues as it does by itself.