Swiss Blue Topaz (treated)

Item Description

Here we have a lovely example of this well-known material. Topaz is found all over the world, many times in gem quality examples. Although Topaz is found in good variety of colors, I think a lot of people associate it with the color blue. The irony is that a good number of the blue Topaz gems you'll see on the market have been irradiated to create the color. These stones start out as colorless Topaz, and through a precise irradiation process, they will change to various shades of blue. This process was developed to fill a demand on the market for Blue Topaz gems that was always lacking, and suddenly buyers had plenty of blue Topaz to choose from. This method is well known in the gem trade and is not at all frowned upon, provided that people KNOW that they're buying a treated gem. These stones are stable and will not lose their color (some naturally colored Topaz gems can actually fade to colorless if they are exposed to certain kinds of light (typically sunlight). Treated Swiss Blue Topaz was introduced on the market about 40 years ago, and it has been a staple for jewelry stores and gem dealers around the world. These stones made a huge splash when they were introduced, and their popularity persists today. There aren't too many gems in the world with this color and this gem has a great vivid sky blue hue. This stone is virtually eye clean with a "Pear Brilliant" cut. A great stone for a pendant or a big showy ring. Topaz is the birthstone for November as well, so this might be a potential gift idea for someone with a November birthday.