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Mystic topaz is a type of quartz that has undergone heat treatment to create an iridescent rainbow effect in the stone. It looks beautiful, but many people are concerned that it isn’t actually a real gemstone since it isn’t naturally occurring; instead, it is created by combining raw quartz with chemicals and then heating the stone to create its rainbow coloration. Is mystic topaz real or fake? What makes it so special that most people think it’s real? Read on to find out!
Mystic topaz facts
The mystic topaz is a man-made, lab-created stone. Its chemical composition varies by manufacturer and its cut varies based on what it’s meant to look like (usually a standard round brilliant cut). It typically contains silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide, in addition to iron oxide, titanium dioxide, and other elements. If you want to learn more about synthetic gems and how they’re made, I wrote a whole book about it called The Truth About Gemstones. You can buy a copy here if you want to read more on your own! And now that we’ve covered some basic background information, let’s talk about whether these stones are real or fake. Let me tell you right off the bat that there is no clear-cut answer because it depends on who you ask. While there may be an official answer somewhere out there, most jewelers would tell you that these stones are real while others would say they’re fake. In fact, many jewelers don’t even sell them anymore because of confusion over their status…so maybe not being able to decide is a good thing!
The origin of mystic
There is no such thing as mystic topaz. In fact, there’s not even such a thing as mystic topaz gemstones. Mystic is actually just a marketing term that describes color-treated, lab-created emeralds. These gems are green, like real emeralds, but more affordable since they don’t have to be mined from within Mother Earth. The process for color-treating white topaz began in 1979 when a Japanese chemist and amateur gemologist named Koichi Domoto realized that tumbling topazes with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda could turn them green. His formula has since been refined and other chemists continue experimenting with ways to make ever lighter shades of green without affecting durability or hardness.
Things you should know about mystic topaz
Mystic topaz is not a real stone; it’s a lab-created one. Lab-created gems are made in labs and are manmade to look like gemstones. The good news is, they’re extremely durable and can last much longer than their natural counterparts. They’re also cheaper, which makes them perfect for those looking to upgrade their jewelry collection on a budget. You should know that there are two types of lab-created gems: simulants and synthetics. Both imitate gemstones but have slight differences; only an expert can tell them apart based on testing methods such as spectroscopy and chemical analysis. But you don’t need to be an expert to tell these two apart!
What makes mystic topaz unique
Mystical topaz is a variety of quartz that has been heated and artificially colored. Because it’s only partially natural, you won’t find a consistent shade of pink; there are many different artificial colors used to make mystic topaz, so it can range from light pink to purple-pink. However, what makes mystic topaz truly unique is its dispersion (the degree to which light is broken up into spectral colors) and fire (the dispersion of spectral colors). In fact, mystical topaz’s fire and dispersion actually surpasses that of diamond. So while no one will mistake your $20 ring for an engagement ring, you might get some admiring glances at your next wine tasting party!
How to tell fake from real
Most of us are familiar with blue topaz. The deep blue, almost indigo gem is one of several types of topaz that can be found in nature. In addition to blue topaz, there’s also Imperial topaz and pink topaz. This last onyx stone was only recently developed; it was initially thought to be a type of sapphire until later studies discovered that it was indeed a member of the topaz family. White topaz (pictured above) is not commonly found in nature; rather, it is man-made as a result of heating yellow zirconium up to more than 900 degrees Fahrenheit (almost 482 Celsius). A white diamond simulant, white topas is often used in place of diamond for bridal jewelry.
Mystic topaz colors
In topaz, those color-producing impurities are aluminum. The aluminum impurities cause a blue-green color in yellow topaz and a rosy pink to reddish purple in pink topaz. The type of aluminum involved is not affected by heat, so all types of blue/green and pink/purple-red coloring are possible depending on how much and what type of impurity is present when it crystallizes. Red topaz is colored by chromium (Cr), but crystal habit can affect its appearance; red crystals tend to be rarer than blue or purple ones, so they’re more valuable.
