[Jewelry making - Article 00073] - Re: [Orchid] [Digest Post] Natural blue topaz?

[Hanuman]

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From: "Steve Green" <steve AT briolettes.com>

    Dear Betty, Natural blue topaz does exist. Here in Colorado light
    blue topaz is found in the Tarryall Mountains. The most famous
    worldwide locality is: Virgem da Lapa in Mina Gerais, Brazil. 

    The only problem is there is no means I know of to distinguish
    natural blue from irradiated blue. 

    However, if you are digging in the Tarryalls and find a blue topaz
    crystal you can rest assured that it is natural blue color. 

    Regards,  Steve Green / Rough and Ready Gems    your briolette
    source   www.briolettes.com 


From: MillsGem AT aol.com

    All, I bought two kilos of rough alluvial Brazilian topaz last year
    in Tucson. About five per cent of it was pale blue. Natural blue
    topaz occurs regularly in Brazil, although it is far more rare than
    the colorless. I have also seen natural blue Brazilian topaz which
    had the color intensity of irradiated topaz, although the hue was
    that of the "sky" blue rather than the London or Swiss blue.   Ron
    at Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA. 


From: "Diane Sadel" <dsadel AT sweetgemstones.com>

    I had heard a few years ago and also read that Blue Topaz comes
    naturally in a very light color and can be found in Brazil.  I had
    also read that this natural color  is available in many other
    localities. 

    Diane Sadel http://www.sweetgemstones.com  


From: Craftartisan AT aol.com

    Yes, there is natural blue topaz.  I know this because I spent a
    summer in Colorado once and had the opportunity to visit a Topaz
    mine--dug a blue crystal out of the ground myself.  It was very pale,
    but it was blue.  

    Andrea L. McLester http:\\almclester.netfirms.com 


From: "coralnut" <dcdietz AT attbi.com>

    Betty, Indeed, there is natural blue topaz.  It is harder to find
    these days because of all the treated material but when you can get
    a natural and document it, it should bring a nice price (providing
    you wish to sell it). I have a beautiful piece of natural rough from
    Brazil I purchased 20 years ago that weights over 43 grams.  It is a
    beautiful even delicate (not light either) blue color.  Guess I
    better get it out and cut it.  Too nice to leave alone.  The crystal
    is beautiful with no significant flaws and should cut a great stone.
    Cheers from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFL where simple
    elegance IS fine jewelry! dcdietz AT attbi.com 


From: "coralnut" <dcdietz AT attbi.com>

    Dan, More on subject.  About 3 years ago our G&M Society received a
    huge donation of very old rough.  Included were several bags of
    tumble stones, small tuff  - carnelian, red jasper, rose quartz and
    beryl, etc.  Most of the beryl was purely tumble or cab grade but
    mixed in were a few handfulls of facet grade material.  When I began
    separating it, I did some SG and scratch tests and found thirty or
    forty were actually topaz.  Some were greenish, some yellowish but
    many were light blue....all small in the 3-4 gm size but with cutable
    areas.  Don't know origin but someone had a pretty good producing
    mine somewhere. 

    Cheers from Don etc, etc. dcdietz AT attbi.com 

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