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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Topaz Gems

Chip Clark and digitally enhanced by SquareMoose
Specimen Catalog Number Locality Weight
Topaz NMNH G262 Russia, Siberia 155.50 ct
Topaz NMNH G5004 Russia, Siberia 296.60 ct
Topaz NMNH G4916 Brazil, Minas Gerais 77.08 ct
Topaz NMNH G3625 United States, Texas 146.40 ct
Topaz NMNH G2219 Brazil, Minas Gerais 54.40 ct
Topaz NMNH G9246 Ukraine, Zhitomir 181.48 ct
Topaz NMNH G3402 Brazil, Minas Gerais 18.00 ct
Topaz NMNH G9564 Russia, Siberia 815.00 ct
Topaz NMNH G3550 Brazil, Minas Gerais 129.00 ct
Topaz NMNH G268 Japan, Honshu 50.80 ct
Topaz NMNH G9140 Brazil, Minas Gerais 259.90 ct
Topaz NMNH G3890 Madagascar 170.75 ct
Topaz NMNH G2046 Brazil, Minas Gerais 34.10 ct
Topaz NMNH G2174 Brazil, Minas Gerais 41.40 ct
Topaz NMNH G2232 Brazil, Minas Gerais 34.10 ct

Until the 1950s, topaz was known almost exclusively as a yellow to golden gemstone. But since then, the routine radiation and heat treatment of pale-colored topaz to turn it shades of blue has changed the public’s perception of this gem. To most of the people today, topaz is recognized primarily as an affordable blue gemstone. The highly prized “imperial topaz” is an intense golden to reddish-orange color and is found primarily in Ouro Preto, Brazil. More commonly, topaz is colorless to pale blue or yellow. Pink or red stones are rare, although pink stones can be produced by heating the golden brown topaz from Ouro Preto. The topaz gems pictured here exhibit the range of colors and are from Russia, Texas, Japan, Madagascar, and Brazil, weighing 18 to 816 carats.The National Gem Collection has a beautiful display of topaz gems and crystals on exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History.

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