The name Topaz has been used to refer to yellowish gemstones for at least 2000 years although early gem traders did not realize that these yellow stones could be a variety of different crystals. As gem traders began to get more sophisticated, they came to know that these yellow stones may be quartz, beryl, sapphire or what we now know as topaz. Topaz is a gemstone that is usually yellow, orange or brown in color and has a hardness of 8.5 on the Mohs scale. The name Topaz comes from Greek 'topazios' meaning 'to seek', which refers to its use as a gazing stone because it was believed to give its owner the ability to see things at a distance.
