Topaz is a member of the gemstone family and is the traditional birthstone for the month of November. Topaz can be colorless but can come in many colors from deep Amber to the very popular and common blue color. Pink is rare and valuable. Topaz is a durable gemstone but can be split with a single blow like that of the diamond. A true Topaz is generally not found in jewelry stores and there is alot of misleading names used to describe Topaz when in fact the stone will actually be a Quartz (citrine). For example, Spanish Topaz and Rio Topaz are not even Topaz. They again are from the Quartz family, so this can be misleading.
Egyptians believed that Topaz was colored with the golden glow from the sun. It's name actually means fire! In ancient times it was believed Topaz could help with asthma, insomnia and hemorrhages. It was also believed that wearing Topaz could protect you from poisoned food. The color of the gemstone would change color in the presence of ill food or drinks and keep you safe.