Katlang Pink Topaz: Pakistan's Naturally Pink Topaz کاٹلنگ کا گلابی پکھراج

Where Katlang pink topaz is found

Katlang lies north of Mardan, at the edge of the plains where the land starts rising towards Buner and Swat. The topaz comes from Ghundao hill near Katlang, a low ridge of limestone and related rock cut by veins of calcite and quartz. The deposit is small, and the workings are pits and short tunnels following the veins.

Unlike the high mines of Kohistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, Katlang is close to roads and towns, so it can be worked for more of the year. Rough is sold locally and in Peshawar, and cut in Peshawar and Lahore.

The geology in plain words

Topaz is a silicate of aluminium that contains fluorine. Most topaz forms in granite pegmatites, the same kind of rock that gives the aquamarine of Gilgit-Baltistan, and most of it is colourless, pale blue or brownish.

Katlang is different. Here the topaz grew in veins of calcite and quartz running through limestone, an unusual setting for topaz. The fluids that formed it carried a trace of chromium, the same element that colours ruby and emerald, and that chromium is what gives Katlang topaz its natural pink to violet-pink colour. Some crystals also show peach, orange or sherry tones.

Because the colour comes from chromium, it is stable in light. Some brown and sherry topaz from other places fades in strong sunlight, but chromium pink does not.

A short history

The Katlang deposit became known to the gem trade in the later twentieth century and has supplied pink topaz in small amounts ever since. It quickly attracted interest because natural pink topaz is so rare; most pink topaz on the world market is produced by heating or coating. Output has always been modest and irregular, with good years and lean years. We do not quote production figures, because they are not reliably recorded.

What Katlang pink topaz looks like

• Colour: pink, violet-pink and purplish pink, sometimes with orange or peach tones. Stronger, purer pinks are the most prized.
• Size: crystals are mostly small, often a centimetre or two long. Faceted stones are usually small, and clean stones of several carats are uncommon.
• Clarity: often included or fractured, with eye-clean material scarce.
• Crystal form: short prisms with pointed or wedge-shaped ends, sometimes sitting on white calcite. Good crystals are valued by collectors.
• Pleochroism: turning the stone, you may see slightly different pink or orange tones from different directions.

How Katlang compares with other pink topaz

How origin is proven, and how it is not

As with every gem, a seller's word or the colour of a stone does not prove Katlang origin. A laboratory can confirm that a stone is topaz and whether its colour is natural, heated or coated, and it may describe the chromium that colours it. A firm origin opinion for topaz is uncommon.

The more useful question for a buyer is how the stone got its colour. A natural pink topaz, from Katlang or elsewhere, is a rare stone. A coated pink topaz is a pretty, inexpensive stone with a surface layer that can scratch or wear. Both are fine to buy, as long as you know which one you have.

How to spot heated and coated pink topaz

• Coating: look closely at the facet edges with a loupe. Coated stones may show tiny scratches or worn spots where the colour is thinner, and an odd rainbow sheen on the surface.
• Very even, very bright pink in a large, clean stone at a low price suggests coating or a different material altogether.
• Heating of golden topaz to pink is not visible to the eye; ask the seller and, for a valuable stone, have it tested.
• Look-alikes: pink spinel, pink tourmaline, kunzite, morganite and glass can all pass for pink topaz. A gem tester or laboratory can tell them apart.

Buying Katlang pink topaz: practical advice

1. Accept small sizes. Fine Katlang stones are usually small. A large, clean, cheap pink topaz is unlikely to be natural Katlang material.
2. Judge colour in daylight. Look for an even pink without heavy brown or orange zones, unless you like the peach tones.
3. Mind cleavage. Topaz is hard but splits along one direction if struck. Choose a protective setting and avoid knocks; see topaz care.
4. Get colour origin in writing. Ask the seller to state natural, heated or coated on the receipt.
5. Compare by the right ratti. The standard gem ratti is 0.91 carat; the jeweller's ratti is about 0.61 carat. Use the carat to ratti converter before comparing quotes.
6. Test when the price is high. Independent lab testing can be arranged on request.

Cutting and caring for Katlang topaz

Katlang crystals are small and often fractured, so cutters plan each stone around the clean areas. Many finished stones are well under two carats, cut as ovals, pears and cushions to save weight. Because topaz cleaves easily, a crystal can split during sawing or polishing, which is one more reason clean stones are scarce.

Once set, natural pink topaz is easy to live with. Clean it with warm soapy water and a soft brush, avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners, and keep it away from sudden heat. Coated pink topaz needs extra care: avoid abrasive cloths and harsh cleaners that can wear the colour layer.

Natural pink stones compared

If you like pink, Katlang topaz is one of several natural choices. Kunzite gives a soft lilac pink and larger clean stones, but it can fade in strong sunlight. Pink tourmaline gives stronger colour and wears well. Pink spinel is bright and tough. Each is a different mineral with its own price and care, so ask for the name in plain words.

Pink topaz and the name Pukhraj

In Pakistan, Pukhraj usually means yellow sapphire, while topaz is often called by its English name or loosely as "Pukhraj" in some bazaars. These are different minerals with different values. Make sure any quote says topaz or sapphire in plain words. See yellow sapphire vs citrine for more on yellow look-alikes and our guide to November's topaz and citrine.

Pink topaz at GemStore

Pink topaz has its own category at GemStore. If you are looking for natural Katlang pink topaz, message us on WhatsApp and we will tell you honestly what we can source and how the colour has been checked. Browse pink topaz, the wider topaz range or kunzite for another natural pink stone, or see lab-certified topaz.