Whitney flame Topaz. Pic courtsey Smithsonian Institution. Topaz also known as “Pittdoh” in Hebrew remained unknown until the mid-18th century. The Konigskone topaz mine in Saxony was the first commercially exploited deposit of Topaz. It was discovered in 1734 and worked till 1800 producing bright yellow crystals. According to some, chrysolite was the ancient name for the oriental Topaz. It is one of the stones noticed in the bible and was in middle ages, considered to be the emblem of apostle James the younger. Alternatively, the word topaz may be related to the Sanskrit word “tapas”, meaning “heat” or “fire”. Properties Specific gravity falls in the range of 3.6-4.2 , while on hardness it’s 8 on Moh’s scale. It possesses double refraction though in a small degree. Location Brazilian town of Ouro Preto holds almost all of the entire worlds known commercial reserves of imperial and precious Topaz. Smaller deposits…