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Topaz Christmas Gift Help Please!

MATT0404

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 27, 2014
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Hello, everyone! I'm looking for some help finding a topaz gemstone for my wife's Christmas gift. My wife simply asked for jewelry for Christmas and Topaz is our 1 year old's birthstone, so I figured this would add sentimental value. I'm a complete newb when it comes to searching for quality topaz gemstones, I've done well with diamonds in the past but, topaz seems to have a huge price/quality variance.

I've decided I do not want clear or blue topaz, I would prefer "imperial" topaz. My budget would be somewhere in the $500-$750 range and I'm looking for the best value for my money. I tend to prefer quality to size but, again, I'm not familiar with what constitutes a "quality" topaz.

Can anyone recommend a reputable online dealer to buy from? I've visited a few sites like Litnon, AfricaGems, Clearcutgems, but prices seem to vary wildly for what looks like similar size, quality, and cut stones. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, everyone!
 

CirrusClouds

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I love Imperial Topaz and I believe it's very under-rated in general. I love the golden tones. I personally consider an Imperial Topaz of "quality" should have an even dispersion of color throughout; no light spots or dark spots. An optimal cut for clarity as well. A good cut is a must in my opinion. I think the actual color is completely preference, but even color throughout the gem is what many prefer.
 

ephsea

Shiny_Rock
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Jan 9, 2014
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181
There is a lot of contention over what color constitutes "Imperial" topaz. Most sellers claim their goods are imperial :rolleyes: What matters is what color *you* want it to be, so if you can find a picture of a topaz that is your target color and post it here, we can be alot more helpful to you. The more red/pink there is in topaz, the more it costs, and the more likely it is to be labeled imperial.
You might also check out Mastercut gems and wsf gemstones.
 

MATT0404

Rough_Rock
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Nov 27, 2014
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CirrusClouds|1417136900|3791477 said:
I love Imperial Topaz and I believe it's very under-rated in general. I love the golden tones. I personally consider an Imperial Topaz of "quality" should have an even dispersion of color throughout; no light spots or dark spots. An optimal cut for clarity as well. A good cut is a must in my opinion. I think the actual color is completely preference, but even color throughout the gem is what many prefer.

Thanks for your input. The more I research topaz, the more I look forward to finding the right one.

This looks like a nice gem from Litnon with a great price/size ratio. I think it would make a nice necklace pendant. Any input? I tend to prefer an oval cut or similar but this is a nice looking emerald cut. I don't know enough about it's rarity to understand whether it's Russian Ural heritage holds much meaning.

http://www.litnon.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=9892

There are some other rather large stones on Litnon's website but they seem awful cheap for their size.
 

ephsea

Shiny_Rock
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Jan 9, 2014
Messages
181
Michael at Litnon has great stuff, he is perhaps *more* recommended than some of our other recommended vendors. I like that emerald cut your looking at, if you feel the color/tone is right for her. Don't let low prices at Litnon scare you away from anything you like - it's all legitimate stuff and you can make returns if not pleased, though time may be an issue with X-mas approaching. If budget permits, you may consider ordering multiple stones from one or more vendors and then returning the ones you like less? Please keep us posted, I love a good topaz hunt!
 

MATT0404

Rough_Rock
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Nov 27, 2014
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ephsea|1417138034|3791486 said:
Michael at Litnon has great stuff, he is perhaps *more* recommended than some of our other recommended vendors. I like that emerald cut your looking at, if you feel the color/tone is right for her. Don't let low prices at Litnon scare you away from anything you like - it's all legitimate stuff and you can make returns if not pleased, though time may be an issue with X-mas approaching. If budget permits, you may consider ordering multiple stones from one or more vendors and then returning the ones you like less? Please keep us posted, I love a good topaz hunt!

Thanks for your help. I have to admit what makes this hunt really difficult for me is being colorblind. I have a tough time distinguishing the difference between the yellowish/orangeish hues. I can distinguish reds and pinks a little better. This makes it tough for me to identify a truly remarkable topaz but I know my wife will love it regardless.
 

CirrusClouds

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I'm sure she will love it! It must be difficult being colorblind. My father was as well. There are enough knowledgeable people here that you will get a good opinion.
 

MJO

Brilliant_Rock
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MATT0404|1417138862|3791497 said:
ephsea|1417138034|3791486 said:
Michael at Litnon has great stuff, he is perhaps *more* recommended than some of our other recommended vendors. I like that emerald cut your looking at, if you feel the color/tone is right for her. Don't let low prices at Litnon scare you away from anything you like - it's all legitimate stuff and you can make returns if not pleased, though time may be an issue with X-mas approaching. If budget permits, you may consider ordering multiple stones from one or more vendors and then returning the ones you like less? Please keep us posted, I love a good topaz hunt!

Thanks for your help. I have to admit what makes this hunt really difficult for me is being colorblind. I have a tough time distinguishing the difference between the yellowish/orangeish hues. I can distinguish reds and pinks a little better. This makes it tough for me to identify a truly remarkable topaz but I know my wife will love it regardless.

Talk to Michael at Litnon and ask him what he really thinks of the stone and he will give you an honest assessment. It is more of a pain in the neck to ship you a stone you don't like than one you are thrilled with so he doesn't want you to have to return it.
 

JewelFreak

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Wow, tough to buy gems if you're colorblind! I'm impressed. Unless Michael recommends something else, I think that's a very nice topaz. It's just the warm golden color I like best & is well cut, good size, & clean.
 

MATT0404

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LoversKites

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MATT0404|1417266941|3792243 said:
Thanks, I'm waiting to hear back from Gem Line. In the meantime, the search continues. I feel like I've seen most of what's available using the reputable vendor links in the sticky.

I did find this. I can't really appreciate the color but, from the description, it's described as peach/pink and is over-budget at $985. I do love the cut.

http://www.earthstreasury.com/product/6-57-carat-peach-pink-colorado-topaz/
http://vimeo.com/79840968

Anyone else have any good leads?

Very light tone on that one, not much pink. Fantastic cut however. You can always email them with an offer and see what they say. What concerns me is this comparison:
http://www.ajsgem.com/gemstones/imperial-topaz/imperial-topaz-31.01-carats.html
31 carats and $1220 so the price seems very steep for the earthstreasury one despite it's precision cut. My guess is the 31ct one is more brownish and not pink. Thing is, the saturation and tone is so low in both that I don't think the difference would be enough to warrant the price difference, but I'm not sure... I'm posting the images of both together so others can easily see.

It looks like the Gem Line one has a window but it's still attractive. The window would really bother me, especially in a step cut. It will be interesting to hear what Michael has to say.

imperial-topaz-tpi-00118.jpg

screenshot__14_.png
 

MATT0404

Rough_Rock
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LoversKites|1417269384|3792251 said:
Very light tone on that one, not much pink. Fantastic cut however. You can always email them with an offer and see what they say. What concerns me is this comparison:
http://www.ajsgem.com/gemstones/imperial-topaz/imperial-topaz-31.01-carats.html
31 carats and $1220 so the price seems very steep for the earthstreasury one despite it's precision cut. My guess is the 31ct one is more brownish and not pink. Thing is, the saturation and tone is so low in both that I don't think the difference would be enough to warrant the price difference, but I'm not sure... I'm posting the images of both together so others can easily see.

It looks like the Gem Line one has a window but it's still attractive. The window would really bother me, especially in a step cut. It will be interesting to hear what Michael has to say.

Thanks so much for your help and input. I do agree that the Earth's Treasury one is very light in tone. My lack of color vision told me maybe the color was unique/stronger to justify the price. Glad I have you all to help me out with this! The search continues....
 

LoversKites

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MATT0404|1417271187|3792258 said:
LoversKites|1417269384|3792251 said:
Very light tone on that one, not much pink. Fantastic cut however. You can always email them with an offer and see what they say. What concerns me is this comparison:
http://www.ajsgem.com/gemstones/imperial-topaz/imperial-topaz-31.01-carats.html
31 carats and $1220 so the price seems very steep for the earthstreasury one despite it's precision cut. My guess is the 31ct one is more brownish and not pink. Thing is, the saturation and tone is so low in both that I don't think the difference would be enough to warrant the price difference, but I'm not sure... I'm posting the images of both together so others can easily see.

It looks like the Gem Line one has a window but it's still attractive. The window would really bother me, especially in a step cut. It will be interesting to hear what Michael has to say.

Thanks so much for your help and input. I do agree that the Earth's Treasury one is very light in tone. My lack of color vision told me maybe the color was unique/stronger to justify the price. Glad I have you all to help me out with this! The search continues....

No problem. Yeah the difficult is totally understandable considering you are colourblind. I may have been wrong about something in my last post (well in all my posts actually), I'm still a newbie so I stand to be corrected.
 

JewelFreak

Ideal_Rock
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I like the cut of the Earth's Treasury topaz a lot -- reminds me of a Jeff Hunt cut & I think he's one of the most talented out there. It isn't extremely saturated, however. Whether that makes a difference is an individual preference. At any rate, I like that one better than others previously posted.

Lloyd Forester has one that has more color & is at the lower end of your budget, maybe worth asking him about. 3.5 ct., 8.8 mm cushion, Montana topaz. http://www.clearcutgems.com/topaz.html

clear_cut.jpg
 

MATT0404

Rough_Rock
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JewelFreak|1417276155|3792282 said:
I like the cut of the Earth's Treasury topaz a lot -- reminds me of a Jeff Hunt cut & I think he's one of the most talented out there. It isn't extremely saturated, however. Whether that makes a difference is an individual preference. At any rate, I like that one better than others previously posted.

Lloyd Forester has one that has more color & is at the lower end of your budget, maybe worth asking him about. 3.5 ct., 8.8 mm cushion, Montana topaz. http://www.clearcutgems.com/topaz.html

I have that specific topaz from clearcutgems bookmarked and I keep going back to it. I really like that cut and it fits my budget. The size may be a bit small for a necklace pendant but I'm sure I can come up with something to make it work.
 

LoversKites

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JewelFreak|1417276155|3792282 said:
I like the cut of the Earth's Treasury topaz a lot -- reminds me of a Jeff Hunt cut & I think he's one of the most talented out there. It isn't extremely saturated, however. Whether that makes a difference is an individual preference. At any rate, I like that one better than others previously posted.

Lloyd Forester has one that has more color & is at the lower end of your budget, maybe worth asking him about. 3.5 ct., 8.8 mm cushion, Montana topaz. http://www.clearcutgems.com/topaz.html

That is a nice one. 8.8mm is big enough for a pendant.
 

MATT0404

Rough_Rock
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Nov 27, 2014
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I heard back from Michael at Gem Line. He had this to say of the emerald cut topaz:

"I would recommend the Emerald cut Russian stone over the rounds. It is calibrated in dimensions which means it will fit in a standard size pendant mounting. Setting this stone should cost considerably less than having a custom mounting fabricated.

Also this is unique Topaz that has a dichroic properties and a color shift depending on the light source. From a golden color in natural light to golden with orange high lights in incandescent and evening light. This stone is from a small find in an unusual locale and there is very little of this material left on the market these days."

I've asked him about a window in the gem and how origin is determined. I also asked if he could provide additional photos.

The 3.5ct topaz from clearcutgems is sold but, Lloyd did say he could cut me a similar stone out of another piece of champagne/gold Montana topaz. He said the cut would be 8mm and be quite a bit lighter than the one pictured/referenced above. As an alternative, he could cut one of these beautiful sky blue pieces to roughly 8.8mm. See attachments for photos.

champagnetopaz.jpg

_24715.jpg
 

CirrusClouds

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I like that Montana rough. Kind of bad photo; but you can tell the color is pretty good.
 

ephsea

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Neither Montana nor Colorado topaz is necessarily color stable in those tones. I've *heard* some Montana pieces stabilize to lighter tones after fading, but that is per a seller of Montana topaz so caveat emptor. I think the Colorado stuff is "nightime only"? At least be sure and ask if they are known to be color stable! FYI these North American topaz stones cost about 1$ per carat in the rough, so I would only be willing to pay for the cost of cutting, personally. The russian piece, on the other hand... :lickout:
 

LoversKites

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It really depends on colour preference now. Personally, I'd look for something more saturated.
Ajsgems sells nice imperial topaz but most cost a lot. I can't check right now for specific gems though.
 

digdeep

Brilliant_Rock
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Another option is to focus on finding the stone and gift that to her for Christmas.......then she and you can put the pendant together. Just a thought as this time of year get's so hectic............
 

FrekeChild

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I would not buy that emerald from Litnon because of the large window. Topaz is a lower RI stone, so it's going to be less sparkly in general, so you really want to get a good cut.
 

MATT0404

Rough_Rock
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Nov 27, 2014
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Digdeep: That's usually how I gift diamonds to my wife. She still has a pair of round diamonds from 2 years ago that she needs to have set into earrings. Unless I find the perfect setting, I'll leave it up to her.

SparkliesLuver: Thanks for the link, I'll check them out!

FrekeChild: Thanks for the info. I was wondering how the emerald cut would look in more natural light. The more I watch the video of the Earth's Treasury topaz, the more I love the cut. He did mention a sale coming up, so I'm waiting to hear back from him.

The Montana topaz color stability does concern me. I'd hate to pay a premium for color that might fade. Jeff does mention color stability on the sale page:

"While some light colored topaz can fade with exposure to sunlight, this topaz has been stable so far as I’ve had pieces exposed to significant sunlight with no noticeable fading."

Thoughts?
 

ephsea

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Jeff's very straightforward, if he says it's fade tested then it should be fine (although I wouldn't wear it sunbathing). He may have had to buy quite a few, and fade them himself, to find one that didn't lose all it's color. The cut is lovely!
 

MJO

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Just got back from a facetor I know who showed me a nice Brazilian Golden Orange Imperial Topaz. It was a longer cushion about 6 cts at about $1200 I will ask him to email me a pic and I will post here later and you can let me know if you want me to look into it further for you,
 

MATT0404

Rough_Rock
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Nov 27, 2014
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Just an update as we close in on Christmas. Here's the topaz I ended up with. It's a 2.07ct, unheated, radidant cut, Brazilian from Ouro Preto. I think this will look great in a ring setting but I'll leave it up to her to choose after the holidays. Thanks for everyone's help and advice along the way, especially Jeff from Earth's Treasury. While this topaz did not come from him, he was instrumental and always helpful throughout my search.

Excuse the rub/dust marks, these things are tough to clean and photograph. Photographed in natural, outdoor light.

Photos really loose a lot of detail when attached. Here's a link to a downsampled original if you'd like to see a better quality photo.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2SjnPoAGX2SMkxORTl3WUZDTnc/view?usp=sharing

dsc04525_1r.jpg
 
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