Topaz color chart: shades, names and which color is finest

By HeyGema™ · Updated November 5, 2026

In short

Topaz comes in yellow, orange, brown, pink to purple-red, blue, light green and colorless. GIA lists orangy red to red as the most valued colors. A round 1 carat topaz measures about 6.4 mm.

9shades on the chart
6.4 mm1 carat, round
8hardness (Mohs)

Topaz colors

Topaz comes in yellow, orange, brown, pink to purple-red, blue, light green and colorless. The most valued colors are orangy red to red.

ImperialA medium reddish orange to orange-red. There is no official definition: dealers apply the name to yellowish to reddish oranges.
Golden or orangeA yellow-orange.
PinkNatural pink is among the rarest topaz colors.
RedRare.
Sky blueThe palest treated blue.
Swiss blueA brighter, medium blue.
London blueThe darkest blue, a steel blue.
ColorlessNear colorless.
MysticColorless topaz with a thin artificial film that gives a rainbow effect. The coating can wear off.

The swatches are illustrations picked to match the color names. Screens and light change how color looks, and a cut stone changes with the light, so judge a stone in person or from a daylight photo.

Which topaz color is finest

GIA lists orangy red to red as the most valued colors. Imperial is a trade name, and the color gives the value, not the word.

How gemologists describe color

Gemologists describe the color of a stone with hue, tone and saturation, and look at the three together. For colored stones they also look at how evenly the color is spread.

Hue: The color you would name, such as blue, green or red, or a blend such as bluish green.
Tone: How light or dark that color looks, from pale to very dark.
Saturation: How strong or pure the color looks, from dull (grayish or brownish) to vivid.
Evenness: How evenly the color is spread through the stone. Color zoning is uneven color, such as bands or patches you can see.

Colored stones have no single color scale like the D to Z scale for diamonds, so sellers use their own words. Ask for a daylight photo and for the size in mm as well as the carat weight.

What affects topaz color

Cause of color: Chromium causes natural pink, red and violet. Yellow, brown and blue come from atomic-level imperfections.
Treatments: Blue topaz is almost always treated: colorless topaz is irradiated and then heated. Pale blue topaz occurs in nature, but deep, intense blues do not. Mystic topaz carries a coating, and abrasion or buffing removes it.
Light and angle: Prolonged heat or sunlight can fade yellow-to-brown, reddish brown and dark brown topaz.
Wear and care: Topaz is hard but has cleavage, so a knock can split it. Heat and sudden temperature change can break it.

Topaz color and size

Carat is weight, not size. A round 1 carat topaz measures about 6.4 mm, against 6.5 mm for a diamond of the same weight. This table gives the face-up size of a well-cut topaz.

1 ct: Round: 6.4 mm; Oval: 8.0 x 5.5 mm; Cushion: 5.6 x 5.6 mm

2 ct: Round: 8.1 mm; Oval: 10.1 x 6.9 mm; Cushion: 7.0 x 7.0 mm

3 ct: Round: 9.3 mm; Oval: 11.5 x 7.9 mm; Cushion: 8.1 x 8.1 mm

5 ct: Round: 11.0 mm; Oval: 13.7 x 9.4 mm; Cushion: 9.6 x 9.6 mm

10 ct: Round: 13.9 mm; Oval: 17.2 x 11.8 mm; Cushion: 12.1 x 12.1 mm

20 ct: Round: 17.5 mm; Oval: 21.7 x 14.9 mm; Cushion: 15.2 x 15.2 mm

Weight	Round	Oval	Cushion
1 ct	6.4 mm	8.0 x 5.5 mm	5.6 x 5.6 mm
2 ct	8.1 mm	10.1 x 6.9 mm	7.0 x 7.0 mm
3 ct	9.3 mm	11.5 x 7.9 mm	8.1 x 8.1 mm
5 ct	11.0 mm	13.7 x 9.4 mm	9.6 x 9.6 mm
10 ct	13.9 mm	17.2 x 11.8 mm	12.1 x 12.1 mm
20 ct	17.5 mm	21.7 x 14.9 mm	15.2 x 15.2 mm

See the full topaz size chart for every shape, or use the carat to mm calculator for any weight.

Topaz properties

Hardness (Mohs): Value: 8

Refractive index: Value: 1.609 to 1.643

Specific gravity: Value: 3.49 to 3.57

Property	Value
Hardness (Mohs)	8
Refractive index	1.609 to 1.643
Specific gravity	3.49 to 3.57

Blue topaz is the best-known. Close to diamond in density, so the same weight gives almost the same size.

How to compare topaz stones

Look at each stone in daylight and under indoor light. Color shifts with the light.
Ask for the size in mm as well as the carat weight. A topaz of the same weight can differ in size by shape and cut.
Ask whether the color is natural or treated, and ask for the answer in writing.
For a stone that matters, ask for an independent lab report.

Designing with a colored stone? HeyGema lets you choose the stone shade and renders your design with it.

Questions

Yellow, orange, brown, pink to purple-red, blue, light green and colorless. The most valued colors are orangy red to red.

Pale blue topaz occurs in nature, but deep, intense blues do not. Almost all blue topaz on the market is colorless topaz that was irradiated and then heated.

Sky blue is the palest, Swiss blue is a brighter medium blue and London blue is the darkest. These are trade names for treated colors, and sellers use the hues loosely.

A medium reddish orange to orange-red topaz. There is no official definition, and dealers apply the name to yellowish to reddish oranges.

A well-cut round topaz of 1 carat is about 6.4 mm across (0.25 in). The table above gives the size of other shapes and weights.

No. They are illustrations picked to match the color names. Screens differ, and a cut stone changes with the light, so judge a stone in person or from a daylight photo.