Topaz is a silicate mineral made of aluminum and fluorine with the chemical formula Al2SiO4(F, OH)2. It is used as a gemstone in jewelry and other adornments. Common topaz in its natural state is colorless, though trace element impurities can make it pale blue or golden brown to yellow-orange. Topaz is often treated with heat or radiation to make it a deep blue, reddish-orange, pale green, pink, or purple.
Topaz crystal on white matrix
Blue topaz crystal
Large topaz gemstone and small irradiated topaz fragment on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
Sherry-colored topaz from Utah, USA
Silicate minerals are rock-forming minerals made up of silicate groups. They are the largest and most important class of minerals and make up approximately 90 percent of Earth's crust.
Lithium aluminium silicate mineral spodumene
Diatomaceous earth, a biogenic form of silica as viewed under a microscope. The imaged region measures approximately 1.13 by 0.69 mm.
Nesosilicate specimens at the Museum of Geology in South Dakota
Kyanite crystals (unknown scale)