About Yellow Golden Topaz
Yellow topaz, also referred to as 'precious topaz', is an especially rare color for topaz to naturally occur in. It is in fact one of the rarest and most valuable color varieties of topaz available today. Fine golden-yellow topaz is highly sought after for its remarkable color and superior hardness (8 on the Mohs scale). The ancient Egyptians believed that yellow topaz was colored after the golden glow of the mighty sun god, Ra, which made it a very powerful amulet stone that was thought to protect the faithful against harm. The most desirable topaz is called
'imperial topaz', which can range from fine golden-yellow to pinkish and reddish orange. Because yellow topaz is so rare, it is often referred to as 'precious topaz'.
Topaz gemstones exhibit pleochroism, which can give the appearance of several colors in one and the same stone, depending on the viewing angle. Yellow topaz is fairly durable due to its hardness so it can be worn as any type of jewelry design. However, because topaz can be split with a single blow, a trait it shares with diamond, wearers should take special care to protect it from hard knocks.
Deposits of topaz have been found in Brazil, Afghanistan, Australia, Myanmar (Burma), China, Germany, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and the USA.