Amazon Quiz (August 4, 2022)
Name this gemstone
Emerald
Ruby
Blue Topaz
Amber
Answer: Blue Topaz
Blue topaz is a gemstone that is often used in
ornaments and other accessories. Although topaz is colourless by itself, it is
the presence of traces of other elements that sometimes seem to change the
colour of the gemstone. It is extremely rare to find naturally-occuring blue topaz, which is usually made by heating or irradiation. However, reports emerged in the late 1980s of a number of sizable specimens of topaz being discovered somewhere in Zimbabwe.
There are various shades of blue topaz available. While the Swiss Blue Topaz is of a lighter shade, the London Blue Topaz, which has become a rather desired gem for engagement rings, is much darker. Notably, the southern United States state, Texas, has marked blue topaz as its state gem.
The Minerals Gallery of the United Kingdom’s Natural History Museum has on display a large blue topaz, weighing around two kilograms. It was named the Ostro stone and was discovered by Max Ostro, a British explorer in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Ostro later went on to found a company called Ostro Minerals which sold blue topaz. The company has also collaborated with a number of designers over the years.
The origin of the word topaz can be traced back to the Greek word topazion, which itself is derived from Sanskrit. Sri Lanka, historically, exported topaz to Greece.
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