Page:A treatise on diamonds and precious stones including their history Natural and commercial.djvu/144

 SECT. V.

Yellow, Red, Blue, and White Topaz.

speaking of the Topaz, a gem of a beautiful yellow color is always understood; it is wine yellow of different degrees of intensity; and the fuller and deeper the tinge, the more the stone is esteemed. In hardness it yields to the spinelle.

are few gems more universal favorites than the yellow Topaz when perfect: the rich warm tone of its color, the vivacity of its lustre, (which it retains even by the side of the diamond), and its large size compared with many others, are characters which deservedly