Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
orthorhombiccommonSilicates
Topaz
Al₂SiO₄(F,OH)₂
This specimen features well-formed, sherry-colored topaz crystals, which are typically prismatic, often associated with small, dark bixbyite crystals.
Topaz Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
8Crystal System
orthorhombicLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
perfect basal {001}Fracture
conchoidalSpecific Gravity
3.4Colors
colorless, white, pale blue, yellow, orange, pink, brown, green, sherryTransparency
transparentType Locality
Topaz Mountain, Thomas Range, Juab County, Utah, USAMineral Group
SilicatesUses
jewelry, collectorAssociated Minerals
bixbyite, fluorite, hematite, quartzRarity
commonGeological Context
Topaz commonly forms in igneous rocks, especially in granitic pegmatites and rhyolites, and also in high-temperature hydrothermal veins. It crystallizes from fluorine-rich vapors during the final stages of igneous cooling.
