Imperial Topaz gets its name from former Emperor of Brazil Dom Pedro II, who reserved the finest quality specimens mined within Brazil’s borders for use by the Brazilian Imperial family. Imperial Topaz, also known as “Rio topaz” due to the fact that almost all imperial topaz was mined in the Rio de Janeiro area, gets its name from its use by royalty throughout history. Imperial topaz itself is comprised of golden-orange to reddish-pink crystals and is one of the rarest topaz gems in existence. Pure Imperial Topaz can only be found in one place on earth: Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Imperial Topaz actually gets its color from impurities of chromium within the crystal itself. Chromium also gives emeralds their color, however due to the rarity of Imperial Topaz it is considered much rarer than emeralds. Imperial Topaz in its finest forms are comparable to diamond in price. Imperial Topaz crystals are mined in many places, but true Imperial Topaz can only be found in one place. Imperial Topaz can come in a variety of colors ranging from deep champagne and cognac amber, to salmon pink and reddish-orange. These colors are rarely found in common topaz, which tends to be blue or white.

Brazil’s former emperor Dom Pedro II loved Imperial Topaz so much he passed laws restricting who could mine and sell the stones to ensure only the finest specimens became part of the Imperial collection. Dom Pedro II ruled Brazil between the years of 1831 and 1889 and cherished Imperial Topaz. Records show that Dom Pedro rarely sold Imperial Topaz to anyone who did not sit upon a throne.

The first discovery of Imperial Topaz was made in the 1700s in the Brazilian city of Ouro Preto. Miners had originally thought the crystals were gold, however when the miners reached the area now known as Ouro Preto, it turned out that topaz was worth more than gold! Though topaz can be found all over the world in many different colors, true Imperial Topaz is only found in one place. True Imperial Topaz is so rare that you could fit every Imperial Topaz mine in the entire world inside of a golf ball.

One of the earliest royal families to fall in love with Imperial Topaz was the royal family of Russia. Several pieces containing Imperial Topaz are known to have been in the possession of Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra. Most notable of these pieces is a necklace passed down to the Romanov family from Queen Victoria which features imperial topaz mined from the Brazilian Imperial mines.

Royal families all over Europe sought out Imperial Topaz for their courts once the gem made its way through diplomatic channels. Imperial topaz became known as the “royal gem” throughout Europe, with only the richest able to attain samples of the rare mineral. In Russia Imperial Topaz came to symbolize the strength of the Romanov family. As royal gifts from Dom Pedro II of Brazil made their way through Europe more and more heads of state became aware of the valuable resource found within Brazil.