COHEN: UNKNOWN MINERAL #43 - TOPAZ

The Identification and Characteristic of the Unknown Mineral as Topaz

Gabrielle D. Cohen
GLG 321: Unknown Mineral Paper
Thomas Sharp
Arizona State University
Abstract
The unknown mineral that I had was determined to be topaz using Raman spectroscopy
and other physical properties. Topazs chemical equation is Al 2SiO4(F,OH)2, and its crystal
system is orthorhombic, with a symmetry of 2/m 2/m 2/m. The cleavage of the mineral is perfect
along the [001] axis plane, and has a prismatic crystal habit. The optic characteristic of the
mineral is that it is biaxial positive and has a surface relief that is moderately positive. The
specific gravity of topaz is 3.49 g/m 3, which is considered pretty high. The rock occurs in
intrusive igneous rocks, as well as volcanic rocks, such as pegmatites and rhyiolites, and forms
through the presecence of the vapor resided from magma. In industry, the mineral is
predominately used as a gemstone. The picture of the mineral is located before references.

Introduction

When first looking at my mineral,

Topaz, is an orthosilicates mineral, with the

due to its colorless and vitreous appearance,

chemical equation of Al2SiO4(F,OH)2. Topaz

the mineral could be assumed to be are

name is derived from the Topaso Island

quartz, beryl, or any pure colorless variation

located in Red Sea, which is what the

of mineral. Using physical properties, such

mineral is named after. I wanted to provide

as crystal habit, density, and hardness, the

some information about topaz, which is

mineral can be determined as topaz. In order

what I determined my mineral to be, from it

to identify the unknown mineral, I used the

identification,

and

Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy is

chemistry, to all its characteristics and

a type of spectroscopy that uses the

properties, and what it is used for in

scattering of monochromatic light to provide

industry.

information of a mineral to identify a sample

its

crystallography

Identification

due to it molecular structure and its

1

COHEN: UNKNOWN MINERAL #43 - TOPAZ

vibration. After using Raman spectroscopy,

Crystallography and Chemistry

the program Crystal Sleuth was used to

match

the

unknown

wavelength

The crystallography of the topaz

and

depends on the ratio of F and OH in the

frequency to known minerals. After the first

mineral, with the compositional variation

run, the highest matches it came up with

amongst topaz being dependent on the

were tourmaline and beryl, neither matching

amount of fluorine and hydroxide.

the unknown mineral. I re-ran the program.

Topaz being a part of the mineral

The program then came up with having

group orthosilicates, or ring silicates, the

topaz as 93%-64%, with a total of fifteen

crystal system is orthorhombic and its

matches. Due to the amount of topaz

symmetry being orthorhombic dipyramidal

displayed as a match, I determined that the

and H-M group being 2/m 2/m 2/m. With it

unknown mineral was topaz. The Raman

being

spectroscopy of the unknown mineral is

formula being Al2SiO4(F,OH)2, the structure

shown in Figure #1.

of the mineral is on basis of the anion

Figure #1: Raman Spectroscopy of

Unknown

orthorhombic

and

its

chemical

oxygens closed packed sheeted structure

that

continually

alternates

fluorine-

hydroxide oxygen bonds parallel to the 010

plane axis. The cation aluminum is placed in
between the octahedral sites of the oxygens
packed sheets to form a chain-like structure
parallel to the cation silicon tetrahedral
coordination structure. The oxygen anions
are coordinated to have the one-silicon
cation and 2 aluminum cations, and the
anion
Due to the colorless and vitreous
appearance of the mineral, the mineral
appeared to be quartz, beryl, or any pure

fluorine

coordinated

with

two

aluminum anions. The structure is shown

below in Figure #2, as well as the parallel
cleavage is also shown.

colorless variation of mineral. Can be

distinguished through the crystal habit,
density, and hardness.
2

COHEN: UNKNOWN MINERAL #43 - TOPAZ

Figure #2:

parallel to the c axis, with the c axis shown

in Figure #3.
Figure #3: Crystal Structure

In the crystal structure, the crystal

can contain anhedral masses. Anhedral
masses are crystal grains that are not well
formed in shape. The detrical grains or the
The cleavage is perfect along the

rock that the mineral grows out of, tends to

[001] axis plane, and is the only plane that is

be parallel to the basal cleavage in the (001)

parallel to the cleavage on the structure that

axis plane. When it comes to twinning, it

can cut through it without breaking any

rarely occurs on the {010}axis plane.

silicon-oxygen bonds. The other bonds,

The unit cell volume of topaz is

aluminum-oxygen bonds and aluminum

343.73 angstroms, with the a-dimension

fluorine bonds break, however, but do so in

being 4.65 angstroms, the b-dimension

equal numbers.

being 8.80 angstroms, and the c-dimension

In terms of crystal habit, topaz is

being 8.39 angstroms. The ratio of the

prismatic, with that crystal type having the

dimensions (a:b:c) is 0.528:1:0.955. The unit

faces parallel to the long dimensions in

cell dimensions in the structure of the crystal

striation. As well as being prismatic, topazs

are displayed in Figure #4.

crystal habit can also be massive and tabular.

The crystals of topaz usually vary from
being stubby to elongated prisms that are

COHEN: UNKNOWN MINERAL #43 - TOPAZ

Figure #4: Unit Cell of Orthorhombic

crystallographic axes a, b, or c; and the Z

optic direction, as well as the refractive
index it corresponds with, the (the largest
refractive index) can be parallel to any
crystallographic axes a, b, or c.
Figure #5: Biaxial (+) Intradices

System
Based on the dimensions of the unit
cell, the morphology of the crystal to be
from long to short prismatic.
Optic Characteristics
The optic axis of topaz is biaxial,
with the optic sign being positive, with its
indricatrices show in Figure #5. The optic
axis, when it comes to dispersion, is very
distinct, with r > v. What it means for the
mineral to be biaxial is that the minerals

The refractive indexes for topaz are:

crystal system is orthorhombic, monoclinic,

or triclinic, and that the crystal has two optic

for (n) is 1.606 to 1.635, for (n) is

axes, as well as have the optical symmetry

1.609 to 1.637, and for (n) is 1.616 to

that is equivalent to 2/m 2/m 2/m. In the

1.644.

orthorhombic crystal system, which topaz

increase with the substitution of hydroxide

has, the optic directions (X, Y, X) can

substitution for fluorine because the higher

correspond to the crystal system axes: the X

polarization of hydroxide compared to

optic direction, as well as the refractive

fluorine. Since this occurs, the indices vary

index it corresponds with, the (the

with the amount fluorine present in topaz, as

smallest refractive index) can be any

well as the 2V angles, which is shown in

crystallographic axes a,b, or c; the Y optic

Figure #6. The 2V angle for topaz is 44 to

direction, as well as the refractive index it

66.

The

refractive

indices

actually

corresponds with, the (the intermediate

refractive index) can be parallel to any
4

COHEN: UNKNOWN MINERAL #43 - TOPAZ

which is what can distinguish the mineral
from others, it is 8 is the Mohs Scale of
Hardness. It means that it is slightly harder
Figure #6: Optics Properties

than quartz, which is 7, but less than that of

corundum, which is 9, and diamond, which
is 10. The streak of the mineral is white or
colorless,

making

it

not

defining

characteristic. The fracturing of the mineral

is sub-conchoidal to uneven, meaning the
curvature of the surface is not as signifigant
and is concave. The specific gravity of topaz
varies from being 3.49 to 3.57 g/cm3, which
Based on the optical directions, the

is considered pretty high.

pleochroism is weak, especially in colored

Mineral Color

samples, with the X and Y optical direction

The color of topaz is most often

equal in shades of yellow and the Z optical

colorless, but can appear in a variety of

direction equal in shades of pink. When it

colors such as yellow, red, brown, pick, blue

comes to the birefringence varys from

and violet. The colors are dependent upon

0.008-0.011, with any fragments that are

whether the mineral went through a process

located

to create a radiation-induced color center, or

birefringence of about 0.003 in a thin

has the presence of trace amounts of

section.

transition metal such as manganese and

on

the

cleavage

having

The surface relief of the mineral is

chromium.

moderately positive (even in a thin section),

Most of the variations in color are

meaning that the index of refraction

induced synthetically, since not all topaz

difference between the mineral and the

gemstones exist in nature. The blue topaz,

immersion oil is between 0.12 and 0.04.

which most of them are synthetically

Physical Properties

induced, has it color made by the radiation-

When looking at topaz, topaz is seen

induced color center. Using the irradiation, it

to have a vitreous luster, ranging from

can also change the color of the mineral,

transparent to translucent. In hardness,

which is based on the color given off by

COHEN: UNKNOWN MINERAL #43 - TOPAZ

transition metal impurities. The pink color is

In Figure #7, you can see that there

brought out by chromium, and the green

is limited buffering that occurs in the topaz

color is brought out by the green. The

solid solutions. When topaz is in rhyolites,

intensity of the color depends on how long

the composition in pure flour-topaz, and

the mineral has been heated. Even though

when topaz is in hydrothermal deposits, the

heat brings out the color, if the mineral is

composition is Al2SiO4F1.4OH0.6.

left in the sun to long, the color will fade.

There is not much chemical variation

in nautral topaz, with there only being little
substitution

between

transition

metals

Variations, Impurities, and Solid

(chromium and iron) to aluminum, only

Solutions

occurring in small amounts in a mineral

Topaz is a solid solution that occurs

in between the flour-topaz (Al2SiO4F2)
composition

and

the

specimen.
Formation and Geologic Occurrence

hydroxyl-topaz

Topaz formation occurs when rocks,

(Al2SiO4(OH)2) composition. The hydroxyl-

like igneous intrusive or when rocks become

topaz is based on the reaction between

metamorphosed, become altered due to the

andalusite (Al2SiO4) and water (H2O). The

fumes and vapors that are released from the

composition plot of the topaz solid solutions

presence of magma. The vapors contain the

in seen in Figure #.

fluorine that forms to create the topaz

Figure #7: Solid Solution Composition

crystalline. The mineral usually forms

within the vesicles or cavities in rocks.
The rocks that topaz occurs in are
volcanic and intrusive felsic igneous rocks.
The variety of rocks it occurs in are
pegmaties and rhyolites. The mineral can
also occur in transitional metal mineral
deposits, such as tungsten, tin, gold, and
molybdenum. The mineral can also be found
with other minerals such as quartz and
fluorite.

COHEN: UNKNOWN MINERAL #43 - TOPAZ

Topaz can be found in a variety of

Using the growth history, defects in

places around the world, such as Russia, Sri

the crystal can be due to the adding of the

Lanka, Japan, Brazil, United States, and

new chemical and a period of weak

Pakistan.

dissolution causing certain layers to grow

Growth, Defects, and Altercation

more than the others. It usually is between

The history of growth for a prismatic

the silicon-aluminum in octahedral and

crystal of topaz, using the example of

tetrahedral vacancies sites, at very high P-T

(Isogami, 1975) starts with the rapid growth

conditions.

stage; the growth of topaz starts as violent,

In terms of altercation, topaz can be

with impurities and crystallizing particles

stable in weathering environments, but can

forming into the crystal, usually forming a

be altered hypothermally to white mica,

cavity that was pre-existing. This period is

clay, or even fluorite.

followed by the growing of layers along the

planes

{001},{110},{111},

{221},

The main use that gemstone is used

causing the crystals to be in similar locality

for is for gemstones. Even though the colors

as they grow. During this time also, the

of topaz are not as distinct, they can be

crystals go from being uneven to being

brought out more to be distinct by radiation

tabular, and then to being more prismatic.

and heat. Topaz is also used to make

After this growth stage, there is an

scorring pads and tool sharpeners if the

intermission of growth, in which new

specimen is not precious enough to be a

chemicals

are

gemstone. In past history, the mineral, due to

introduced in the cavity in which the crystal

its mystical appearance, has been used as

is growing, causing a little bit of dissolution,

both a poison and a medicine.

and

new

and

Industry

conditions

which caused other layers to grow more than

others.

The

last

stage

involves

the

continuance of the growth in the layer

{001}, {110}, {111}, and {221}.

References:
American, The, Mineralocist, Vol. 56 January-February, and 1971. THE CRYSTAL
STRUCTURE OF TOPAZ AND ITS RELATION TO PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (n.d.): n.
pag. Web.
Barton, Mark D. "The Thermodynamic Properties of Topaz Solid Solutions and Some Petrologic
Applications." The American Mineralogist 67 (1982): 956-74. Mineralogical Society of
America. Mineralogical Society of America. Web. 1982.
<http://www.minsocam.org/ammin/AM67/AM67_956.pdf>.
Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. "Topaz." Mineral Information and Data. Hudson Institute of
Mineralogy, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
Isogami, Mineo, and Ichiro Sunagawa. "X-Ray Topographic Study of a Topaz Crystal." The
American Mineralogist 60 (1975): 889-97. Mineralogical Society of America.
Mineralogical Society of America, 1975. Web.
<http://www.minsocam.org/ammin/AM60/AM60_889.pdf>.
Mineralogist, American, and Vol. 57 Pp. 169-187 (1972). COMPOSITIONAL VARIATIONS IN
SYNTHETIC TOPAZ Department of Geologg P. E. RosnNrlrlrrc, W a Shin G T on Stat E
U Niu Er SitY I I 1 6 I Pullm An, W Ashi'ngton (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
Nassau, Kurt, and Betty E. Prescott. "Blue and Brown Topaz Produced by Gamma Lrradiation."
American Mineralogist 60 (1975): 705-09. Mineralogical Society of America.
Mineralogical Society of America, 1975. Web.
<http://www.minsocam.org/ammin/AM60/AM60_705.pdf>.
Nesse, William D. Introduction to Mineralogy. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2000. Print.
Mineralogist, American, and Vol. 57 Pp. 169-187 (1972). COMPOSITIONAL VARIATIONS IN
SYNTHETIC TOPAZ Department of Geologg P. E. RosnNrlrlrrc, W a Shin G T on Stat E
U Niu Er SitY I I 1 6 I Pullm An, W Ashi'ngton (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
Nassau, Kurt, and Betty E. Prescott. "Blue and Brown Topaz Produced by Gamma Lrradiation."
American Mineralogist 60 (1975): 705-09. Mineralogical Society of America.
Mineralogical Society of America, 1975. Web.
<http://www.minsocam.org/ammin/AM60/AM60_705.pdf>.

Raman Spectroscopy of the Unknown Mineral: