Image: Quartz-Topaz-gem7-76d

Description: Quartz, Topaz Locality: Pondaw, Mogok, Burma Size: cabinet, 11 x 8 x 6 cm Topaz on Quartz This dramatic cabinet specimen is from the collection of Bill Larson, who has almost certainly amassed during his travels for gems and minerals there over the last 15 years the best suite of minerals out of modern Burma (obtained before the US government embargo, of course). He pulled this from the collection for me as a favor, as I thought I had a customer who would love it for their own collection. I was wrong about that for some reason, but that doesn't mean the piece is slighted at all. It is , I think, a spectacular matrix topaz and quite unlike any similar beastie from Pakistan. I have seen so many topaz crystals from Mogok, and no good ones on matrix for sale in a decade ...at least, nothing that compares to Pakistani material in overall quality. THIS ONE, however, compares to the best of Pakistani material but has strikingly unique aestehtics both to the quartz and the topaz crystals which are of "burma style" crystallization (different terminations, when you compare closely). The rightmost topaz is 6 x 4.5 x 3 cm, and the lefthand topaz is 5 x 5 x 3.5 cm in size. The topaz crystals have a pale champagne color to them, and are exceptionally gemmy (like glass!). The quartz and topaz are both lustrous...and the quartz is also as clear as can be, so that you can look right trough it. Damage is confined to a VERY small ding on the quartz termination (rear-left), and to contacting in the back of the topaz crystals. The front display face is pristine.
Title: Quartz-Topaz-gem7-76d
Credit: Image: http://www.irocks.com/db_pics/pics/gem7-76d.jpg, Description: http://www.irocks.com/render.html?species=Topaz&page=1
Author: Robert M. Lavinsky
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
License: CC BY-SA 3.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
Attribution Required?: Yes