The brilliance of a cut depends on the luster and the initial clarity of the gemstone: whether or not it had many visible inclusions: Topaz possesses a ‘Vitreous’ glassy luster, and is generally eye clean exhibiting a transparent to translucent aspect.

A Topaz’s cut comes down to personal preference and there are few limitations. However, in spite of its hardness of 8 on the Mohs’ scale, Topaz crystals in their natural state occur in elongated rhombic prisms with almost perfect cleavage. This cleavage, running the length of the gem, dictates that the cut must run at perpendicular angles. Topaz is therefore usually faceted into lengthened shapes such as emerald cuts, elongated ovals, pears and cushions following this structure. Nevertheless, the Blue variety of Topaz occurring in larger crystal sizes than any other of its colorful family members, can be found in nearly every shape and cut imaginable.