Topaz

Topaz - edited and looking better

My November birthstone is the topaz. You know, it was never my favorite. In fact, I don't think I ever had a birthstone ring with my own stone in it, even though those rings were so very popular when I was young. And even though I now think it is beautiful, especially in it's raw state, I wonder whether the fact that I had difficulty representing this gem in a small painting could be a subconscious "throw back" to junior high days when a yellow stone just wasn't cool enough for me. Actually, though, I really love it now. Maybe I will have to ask for one for Christmas... 

Part of piece called Over His Heart
6" x 6" acrylic on canvas panel 

The Bible mentions a topaz several places, but I enjoy this passage in the Old Testament book of Job. 



Job 28:12ff “But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
13 “Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 “The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 “Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.
16 “It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx, or sapphire.
17 “Gold or glass cannot equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.
18 “Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;
And the acquisition of wisdom is above that of pearls.
19 “The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20 “Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is the place of understanding?
21 “Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living
And concealed from the birds of the sky.
22 “Abaddon and Death say,
‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’
23 “God understands its way,
And He knows its place.
24 “For He looks to the ends of the earth
And sees everything under the heavens.
25 “When He imparted weight to the wind
And meted out the waters by measure,
26 When He set a limit for the rain
And a course for the thunderbolt,
27 Then He saw it and declared it;
He established it and also searched it out.
28 “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; 
And to depart from evil is understanding.’”