Topaz Beads

Frequently asked questions

• Is the blue topaz on the bead market natural?

  Almost never at the saturations designers expect. Sky, Swiss, and London blue topaz are colorless natural topaz that has been irradiated and then heated to produce stable blue color — this is the industry-standard process and the material is sold as blue topaz with that treatment understood. Naturally blue topaz exists but is pale and rarely cut into beads. Golden and imperial topaz are typically natural, untreated color. Confirm treatment with the seller before buying if you need that detail for client disclosure.
• How durable is topaz for daily-wear jewelry?

  Topaz is Mohs 8, harder than quartz and aquamarine, so it resists scratching well in bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. The catch is perfect basal cleavage — a sharp impact along the cleavage plane can split the crystal cleanly. Avoid hammer-set designs and warn customers against hard knocks. Clean with mild soap and a soft cloth; skip ultrasonic and steam, especially with coated material.
• What's the difference between topaz and citrine, aquamarine, or sapphire?

  These get confused because color ranges overlap. Topaz is aluminum fluorohydroxysilicate, orthorhombic, Mohs 8. Citrine is quartz (SiO2, Mohs 7) — golden topaz and citrine look similar but topaz is harder and denser. Aquamarine is beryl (Mohs 7.5–8) and tends toward greener blue than the saturated London/Swiss blues of treated topaz. Sapphire is corundum (Mohs 9) and significantly denser than topaz. Refractive index and specific gravity separate them definitively in the lab.
• Can coated topaz like mystic or rainbow topaz be cleaned normally?

  No. Coated topaz carries a thin-film surface treatment that produces the iridescent rainbow effect, and that coating will abrade with ultrasonic cleaning, steam, abrasive polishing compounds, or contact with solvents. Wipe with a soft dry cloth only. For pieces sold to clients, disclose the coating and the care limitation. Dakota's topaz strands are not all coated — ask before buying if a specific strand's treatment is not specified.
• Where does topaz come from?

  Brazil is the dominant source for bead-grade topaz, including most of the colorless rough that becomes treated blue topaz. Other commercial sources include Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, and the United States (notably Utah and Texas). Imperial topaz — the orange-pink to sherry color — comes almost exclusively from Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Per-strand origin isn't always tracked at the bead level; ask before buying if origin matters for your project.