Blue Topaz on Silver Hooped Earrings

Sterling silver is an alloy with a silver content of 92.5 percent, which makes it strong enough to form into jewelry. Few metals have the staying power, for both practical and ornamental purposes, that silver has. Ancient civilizations used the shiny white metal in everything from dishes to armor, and even crafted jewelry from it. Today, silver is just as useful. Silver is very malleable and ductile, meaning it can be hammered out into other shapes.

Topaz is a very hard gemstone but it can be split with a single blow, a trait it shares with diamond. As a result it should be protected from hard knocks. Brown, yellow, orange, sherry, red and pink topaz is found in Brazil and Sri Lanka. Pink topaz is found in Pakistan and Russia. Today we also have blue topaz, which has a pale to medium blue color created by irradiation. Pale topaz which is enhanced to become blue is found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and China. In early 1998, a new type of enhanced topaz made its appearance, the surface-enhanced topaz, with colors described as blue to greenish-blue or emerald green. Perhaps the most famous topaz is a giant specimen set in the Portuguese Crown, the Braganza, which was first thought to be a diamond. There is also a beautiful topaz set in the Green Vault in Dresden, one of the world's important gem collections.

Created by Breathtaking Inspirations, Jewelry by Donna Mae.

Each piece of handcrafted jewelry is fashioned with the finest sterling silver or 14K gold-filled wire and chain that will last a lifetime. Only semi-precious stones and finely cut glass beads are used for each creation.