The crystal fire of white topaz is an alternate birthstone for the month of April. The name topaz, according to one source, is derived from the Sanskrit word for ‘fire’, a fitting tribute to the sparkle and play of light in fine white topaz.
There is another tradition, though, that claims the name is taken from the name of the island Topazios, which was in turn named for the Greek word meaning ‘to seek’. The island, it was claimed, was so wrapped in fog at all times that it was nearly impossible to find. A mystery wrapped in fog, a fire captured in ice – no matter which you believe, the white topaz has a crystal beauty and sparkle that is found in few other stones.
Like all topaz, the white topaz represents loyalty and righteousness, and has the power to protect its wearer against misfortune . He who wears white topaz has the ability to keep a cool head in all circumstances, for topaz has the power to blunt anger and cool emotions.
Both the Egyptians and the Romans associated topaz with the Sun, and while that association is clearest in yellow varieties of topaz, the clear white topaz confers crystal clarity, compassion and warmth on those that wear it.
Always associated with true love, trust, relationships and communication, it is a fitting birthstone for those born in the month that harbors both the gregarious Aries and the empathetic and solid Taurus.
Topaz is an alumina silicate with a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale. It is mined in many places around the world – but surprisingly, the island for which it may have been named is not one of them.
Modern gemologists believe that the ‘topaz’ that were found on Topazios may in fact have been peridots. Still, the mystery and glamour of the name, and the tradition of clear-seeing that the white topaz confers, make it an apt name for the glittering stone that carries both fire and ice at its heart.
