December Focus: Blue Topaz

As a month with many birthstones to choose from, the third December birthstone is blue topaz. While precious topaz - the shades of orange and brown - are known as one of November’s birthstones, blue topaz traditionally belongs to December, alongside tanzanite and turquoise. 

Blue topaz comes in many gorgeous shades. The most famous of the blue colored topaz you will find are known as London Blue and Swiss Blue. The lightest of the two is Swiss Blue, a stunning shade that is comparable to the sky or the tropical waters of the Virgin Islands. The darkest shade of topaz available is London Blue. It has an inky, deep green-blue color that sets it apart from other topaz colors, and is often confused for sapphires. 

via London Natural History Museum

London is also home to one of the world’s largest blue topaz gemstones, known as the Ostro stone. The gem is 6 inches long and 4 inches wide, and weighs in at over 9,000 carats, or just over a pound - the same as a bag of sugar! The impressive gemstone was kept in the Ostro family vault for decades since it was found over thirty years ago, but has been on display at the London Natural History Museum since 2016. 

Blue topaz represents love and eternal friendship, making it the perfect gift for a loved one, whether for a birthday, holiday, or just to celebrate your friendship. This gemstone is also associated with good health, fortune, and luck, as well as being symbolic of strong emotional attachments, honesty, and clarity.   

Just like with other colors of topaz, blue topaz has a hardness of 8 on the MOH scale and will last if taken care of. Clean your blue topaz gently with warm soapy water.