Topaz has got the chemical formula Al2[F2|SiO4]. So it is an aluminium silicate. It has got a hardness of 8 and it crystallizes in the rhombical system. Depending on other substances in a topaz it can have different colors. Yellow and orange topaz is called "Imperial Topaz". Topaz is often transparent. We can find topaz in form of big, long prismatic and short prismatic crystals. Topaz crystals split very well to their basis surface and so broken topaz crystals look like they were cut at the bottom. Except sulfuric acid topaz is a very resistant mineral towards chemical substances. Already in antiquity topaz was a precious stone. Today topaz is also a precious stone and jewels are made of topaz. Above all topaz can be found in Brazil, Pakistan, Russia and in Madgascar.
Data about Topaz
Chemical formula
Al2[F2|SiO4]
Mineral class
silicates
Crystal system
rhombical
Hardness
8
Density
3.5 g/cm3 to 3.6 g/cm3
Color
colorless, yellow, blue, pink
Line color
white
Gloss
glass gloss
Break
shell
Fissileness
perfectly
Author and Webmaster: Lukas Czarnecki
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