One of the most beautiful gemstones currently on the market is the "Mystic" Topaz. You can find one in some 64 known colors and probably a few more on Cruise Ships that haven't been advertised. One thing not always stressed to the buyer of all varieties of "Mystic" Topaz is the fact that "Mystic" Topaz is nothing more than colorless topaz that has been subjected to a vapor deposit process by which a variety of secret ingredients are coated on the surface of the stone creating the various colors and sparkle. There is no "Mystic" Topaz mine, but there is a fabulous "Mystic" Topaz manufacture that I linked to a couple years ago on my web-site at http://www.jewelrybycnc.com/ that is still in business, and you can browse his site at http://www.mystictopaz.com/ to view many varieties of "Mystic" Topaz as well as many other gemstones.The real problem with "Mystic" Topaz is not just that it easily scratches, but that it is also very fragil, to the point that it can be damaged by a jeweler's tweezers during setting and especially resetting, any kind of normal wear and tear, and even heat and cold. But another real problem is that you cannot clean the stone.
Below you see two images. At one time these two stones were identical in color. But one was placed in a normal jeweler's ultrasonic cleaner with the same ammonia and water solution that is sold as jewelry cleaner around the world. You can see that in a very short period of time all of the coating was removed by the ultrasonic cleaner. Meaning that any mystic topaz gemstone set in any kind of ring with diamonds or other gemstones can never be properly cleaned. The only option is a cursory cleaning in plain water, maybe with a small amount of Dove Soap. Which by itself will not remove things like hand lotion, body oils, and perfumes. Meaning that once your mystic topaz ring gets dirty, you are pretty much stuck with a dirty ring.
Below you see two images. At one time these two stones were identical in color. But one was placed in a normal jeweler's ultrasonic cleaner with the same ammonia and water solution that is sold as jewelry cleaner around the world. You can see that in a very short period of time all of the coating was removed by the ultrasonic cleaner. Meaning that any mystic topaz gemstone set in any kind of ring with diamonds or other gemstones can never be properly cleaned. The only option is a cursory cleaning in plain water, maybe with a small amount of Dove Soap. Which by itself will not remove things like hand lotion, body oils, and perfumes. Meaning that once your mystic topaz ring gets dirty, you are pretty much stuck with a dirty ring.
Probably 98% of all gemstones are treated in some form or another, heat, dying, radiation, infusion, etc. Without treatments, the available number of gemstones on the market would be greatly reduced. And as long as treatments are properly disclosed to consumers, they present many valuable streams of revenue to the independent retail jeweler around the world.
But this craze over Mystic Topaz has just gone a bit overboard. The treatment is too fragile to be viable. There is just too much promotion going on that leaves out the fact that this treatment is temporary, at best. The coating can be flaked off by your fingernail. It cannot withstand heat or cold. And more important, it cannot be properly cleaned after being set into jewelry items with other gemstones. But "Mystic" Topaz is beautiful, and certain manufactures are now claiming that their treatment procedures are becoming more perimenent. Hopefully if one acquires a "Mystic" Topaz, no matter what color, it is of the newer and more perminent coloration nature.
An original green colored "Mystic" Topaz.
