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How Color Affects the Value of Topaz

The color of the topaz is perhaps the most important factor in assessing its value.  Not only is color evaluated on its intensity and attractiveness, but also on its rarity.  The rarest color of topaz is pink.  Topaz comes in a wide range of pinks, some with tones of orange or brown or red.  The term "Imperial Topaz" is sometimes used to refer to these colors.  Attractive intense yellow topazes can also be quite valuable. 

Blue topaz is the most common color: it is the most affordable and available blue gemstone.  Topaz also comes is brown: most antique or vintage topaz jewelry will contain brown topaz since it was the most common color before heat treatment began to be used to create blue topaz.  Colorless topaz is becoming increasingly used in jewelry, although it is the least valuable color of topaz.

Lowest Value: White topaz has very low value as a gemstone because it is the least rare natural color and it is not as attractive or unique as some of the other colors of topaz.  However, it has become popular in jewelry in the last decade or so.	Low Value: This pale blue color of topaz is one of the more common colors.  Since it is not rare, nor especially striking, it is not among the more valued colors of topaz. If the color were more intense, it would be much more valuable.	High Value:  Here is an "Imperial" topaz.  This stone contains vibrant shades of pink, orange, yellow and brown.  It is valuable because of its uniqueness.	Highest Value:  Pink is the rarest and most valuable color of topaz.  It would not be impossible for a pink topaz to cost 10 time more than a blue topaz of the same size and quality.  .

Learn More About Topaz

How COLOR affects the value of a topaz
How SIZE affects the value of a topaz
How the CUT affects the value of  a topaz
How CLARITY affects the value of  a topaz
Topaz treatments and fakes 
Topaz meaning and symbology

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