Topaz is one of the most beloved stones by jewelers. It is very beautiful, it lends itself perfectly to processing and at the same time has remarkable hardness. In nature, there is a huge variety of shades of this gem. Topaz is credited with magical and medicinal properties. But, unfortunately, on sale most often there are artificial gems or fakes made of glass and quartz.
It is necessary
- - ultraviolet lamp;
- - quartz or crystal of a suitable size.
Instructions
Step 1
Genuine topaz polishes very well. It is by the feeling of silkiness, some kind of slipperiness that it can be easily distinguished.
Step 2
Topaz can be of different colors: bluish, pink, yellowish. But smoky topaz or rauchtopaz has nothing to do with real topaz. It is a kind of crystal or smoky quartz. Therefore, in terms of its properties, it is closer to crystal than to real topaz.
Step 3
Natural topaz has a higher hardness than quartz (crystal), from which fakes are usually made. The density of quartz is seven units, topaz is eight. Therefore, real topaz will always leave a scratch on the quartz.
Step 4
Compare your topaz with quartz of the same size. The density of topaz is higher, and therefore, with the same size, it will always be slightly heavier. For this property, topaz in Russia was called "heavyweights".
Step 5
Synthetic stones always look too good compared to natural ones. Large gems of natural origin always have small defects. Natural topaz of large size, without defects, of course, exist, but they are quite expensive.
Step 6
Pay attention to the sheen of the stone you are about to buy. Cheap cubic zirconias and zircons can only be compared with diamonds in their brilliance. Natural gems do not possess such shine. But the shine of cubic zirconias disappears very quickly. Synthetic substitutes require almost constant wiping.
Step 7
When the direction of light changes, the color of the topaz also changes. This phenomenon is called pleochroism, and is most pronounced in pink and yellow topaz. In blue stones, pleochroism is not so pronounced.
Step 8
Topaz have a distinct "parallel" crystal structure. Therefore, in many large natural topaz, parallel cracks can be seen.
Step 9
Topaz fluoresces in ultraviolet rays of the long wavelength range. Bluish stones have a yellow or greenish glow, wine and pink topaz have an orange-yellow glow. In the shortwave range, topaz does not glow.
