Topaz is a well-known mineral, occurring in large and beautifully shaped and colored crystals. It is a common gemstone in the gem/jewelry trade. Its varied colors include red, blue, green, orange, golden-brown, yellow, beige, white and colorless. For those who enjoy fine drinks, its color is also described as that of sherry and champagne! It is one of the hardest naturally occurring minerals (8 on the Moh’s hardness scale) and has an adamantine to vitreous luster. On fine specimens, it is accompanied by numerous minerals including Quartz, Albite, Muscovite, Cleavelandite, Fluorite, Schorl and Elbaite.

The crystal system for Topaz is orthorhombic, typically forming prismatic, tabular and stubby crystals, often striated, with complex terminations, and occasionally quite large. Other forms include columnar, massive, grain, radiating and waterworn nodules.

Topaz is a common mineral. Notable localities for quality specimens, including crystals on matrix, include Australia, Brazil, Burma (Myanmar), China, Germany, Mexico, Namibia, Pakistan, Russia and the USA (Utah).