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…
“The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure but to avoid pain ” – Aristotle On 13th January 2020, Thailand became the first country outside China to report its first novel coronavirus infection. What started as a local issue in Wuhan, China soon became a global problem. Although it impacts on the long term health of individuals remain unclear, its impact on the world economy is obvious. We witnessed the Chinese economy grinding to a halt and supply chains collapsing. As the virus spread, major economies like India, the U.K., Japan, Germany suffered the same fate as the Chinese. The military acronym VUCA – Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous – applies perfectly to 2020. Across the globe markets, schools, stadiums are shut or partially open and people who can work from home are advised to do so. As jobs and business are in deep trouble one question which…