Topaz Photos   
Cochise College               
Photos of Minerals
Geology Home Page

Roger Weller, geology instructor

[email protected]     copyright 2010-R.Weller 
 

topaz-clear, colorless crystal-1
At first glance, this crystal resembles the mineral quartz, but the shapes of the crystal faces seem
wrong.  This specimen is a colorless, transparent crystal of topaz that crystallizes in the
Orthorhombic system.  Topaz is harder than quartz and because of its colorless, high degree of
transparency was cut into faceted gemstones that resembled diamonds.  When cubic zirconia
came along it quickly replaced topaz as a diamond substitute. 
This crystal is about 2.5 centimeters long.
 

topaz                                                                                                                                             clear
Photo is copyright free for non-commercial educational uses.
Just credit photo to R.Weller/Cochise College.