In
Saxony, at Schneckenstein near Auerbach, Topaz is plentifully found,
clear yellow crystals being called Saxon Topaz and the greenish yellow
ones Saxon Chrysolite.
In
the United States yellow crystals are found in Connecticut, blue ones
in granite in Maine, colourless ones in Utah, and both colourless and
pale blue occur with Amazon-stone at Florissant in the Pike's Peak
district of Colorado. Variously coloured Topaz is found with
Cassiterite in Australia in Victoria, while in New South Wales
colourless and yellow stones occur.
More recently blue Topaz is reported to have been found in Rhodesia.
Inferior forms of Topaz, known as " fallow " Topaz, are used as abrasives.
Topaz
is one of the gems whose cleavage may be made use of in preparing the
stone for cutting, but care has to be exercised during cutting to avoid
damage through undesired cleavage taking place, flaws or " feathers "
being very apt to form in this way. Topaz, when of large size, is often
cut with a large table of generally elliptical form, and with numerous
triangular facets between the table and the girdle, the lower part of
the stone being cut in shallow steps. The ordinary step and table forms
of cutting are also used, and for the colourless crystals (gouttes d'eau) the
brilliant cut may be used. Most Topaz is mounted in a closed setting,
often with foil at the back. Topaz is not worth nearly so much now as
it was at one time, largely on account of change of fashion. A fine
stone of 2 carats would now only be worth about £1.
Diamond and Spinel can be distinguished from Topaz, both being singly refracting ; Diamond is, of course, much
