Itinga Topaz is some of the very best Blue Topaz available. These beautiful blue gemstones come exclusively from Brazil’s Itinga Mine in both deep London and cool Swiss and Sky Blues.
Hardness 8
Refractive Index 1.609 – 1.643
Relative Density 3.49 – 3.57
Enhancement Heat & Irradiated
Beauty
Much like Kashmir for fine Blue Sapphires, Itinga Topaz, along with Marambaia Topaz, is the quality standard for Blue Topaz. Itinga Topaz comes in three distinct hues: London Blue, Swiss Blue and Sky Blue. London Blue Itinga Topaz has a beautiful velvety blue that can be mistaken for fine Sapphire, while Swiss Blue and Sky Blue Itinga Topaz displays blues close to the purest Aquamarine. These colors in combination with an excellent clarity and brilliance create uniquely beautiful gemstones.
Expert cutting is absolutely critical for Topaz and every Itinga Topaz is carefully faceted by experienced lapidaries. Itinga Topaz is also finished eye-clean, the highest quality clarity grade for colored gemstones, with a superior polish that results in a beautiful luster.
Traditionally a day stone, Itinga Topaz also looks great in low-light conditions due to its transparency and high refraction.
One of the birthstones for November, Topaz’s name is either derived from the Sanskrit ‘tapaz’ (fire) or from the Greek ‘topazios’. A gem with an interesting history, if you were an ancient Egyptian you would have called Topaz the ‘gem of the sun’, believing its golden hues were colored by your sun god, Ra. As a Roman, its crystals were a gift from another sun god, Jupiter. In 19th century Russia, pretty Tsarina’s preferred Topaz’s pink and imperial hues, while baby boomers were the first to experience its beautiful blues.
Rarity
Coming in a diverse array of gorgeous colors, Topaz has a unique crystal structure that makes it a hard and dense gemstone. Topaz’s blues, yellows and browns are the result of color centers, its reds and pinks are caused by chromium and its oranges are the result of chromium and/or color centers. With advances in modern enhancements, today’s gem market has a multitude of color choices for Topaz.
While Topaz is found in Burma, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, USA and the Ukraine, the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais (English: General Mines) remains the premier source.
Coming from the Itinga Mine in the Jequitinhonha Valley in the northeast of Minas Gerais, this mine is noted for producing fine Topaz. Gemstones were first discovered in Minas Gerias in the last decades of the 17th century and today, this state remains famous as rich source of quality gemstones. Itinga represents the top two percent of all London and Swiss Blue Topaz, and along with Marambaia Topaz, remains the quality benchmark for these gems. The availability of Itinga Topaz is extremely limited due to low yields and high global demand. Several years of mining is required to accumulate enough Itinga Topaz for our jewelry collections.
Durability & Care
One of the world’s hardest gemstones (Mohs’ Hardness: 8), Itinga Topaz is a good choice for everyday jewelry. Always store Itinga Topaz carefully to avoid scuffs and scratches. Clean with gentle soap and lukewarm water, scrubbing behind the gem with a very soft toothbrush as necessary. After cleaning, pat dry with a soft towel or chamois cloth.
Map Location
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Infographic
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