About

Topaz is a precious gem stone that is found in a variety of colors ranging from clear (called silver or white topaz) to a golden yellow, pink, and blue. The word ‘topaz’ is thought to have a few different origins: ‘Topazios,’ the ancient name of St. John’s Island in the Red Sea which was known for the yellow gems mined there; an Arabic word meaning ‘subject of the search;’ or the Sanskrit word tapas meaning ‘heat’ or ‘fire.’

The poet Pablo Neruda wrote an ode to the beauty of topaz in his poem ‘El Topacio’: it begins, "Whenever you touch topaz, it touches you: it awakes / a gentle fire, like wine awakes in grapes."� The topaz is a particularly captivating stone, having high qualities of color, clarity, and hardness. White topaz is one of April’s birthstones, and can be given in celebration of 4th and 19th anniversaries.

In many cultures throughout history, the topaz has held a sacred significance. It is referenced in the Bible, as one of the stones adorning Aaron’s bejeweled breastplate; it is believed by the Hindus to sharpen intelligence and lengthen the wearer’s life; and in some shamanic cultures in Africa, topaz is believed to facilitate a connection with the spirit realm.

Whatever the mystical properties topaz may have, it is sure to shine with its interior flame for generations.

Artist

Heather Perry moved to Maine from Baltimore, Maryland, where she had earned her BFA in sculpture. She came to Maine for a change of pace, and she can now be found tucked in a distant corner of Maine, where the Eastern seaboard of the United States bumps up against Canada. Heather shares her home in Robbinston, Maine with her husband and 12-year-old son. Robinston is near the woods and the rugged Maine coast that inspires her work, but pretty far from everything else. So Heather’s trips to the "big city"� of Portland are punctuated by visits to music stores, Japanese restaurants, and other treats she and her son can’t get in their hometown. Heather approaches her truly awe-inspiring jewelry designs as sculpture, and hand sculpts each design in wax before it is cast in recycled precious metals.

Details

• made from 100% recycled sterling silver and white topaz
• 5mm topaz
• Band is 2.6mm wide at the back and 5.9mm wide at the setting
• TLC for your sterling silver and precious gemstone jewelry