Imperial Topaz ring

[gemnut]

I originally posted this in a different forum and was directed to re-post it here... it seems that you guys are the experts that will be able to help me!

So here goes...

I LOVE precious and semi-precious stones but I''m probably "easy pickings" for anyone with a good story and a glistening piece of jewelry. I have only started to learn more about gems recently but I still cross my fingers whenever I make a purchase.

Case in point: this beautiful looking, emerald-cut Imperial Topaz mounted on an 18K gold "basket" frame - at least that''s what I call it. The jeweler insists it is 40K in weight, although it doesn''t look that much bigger than my 20K aquamarine. He also said that it is not laser cut and it is untreated in any way. It scared me when I read in this forum some posts that insist that imperial topazes fade in bright light, and I almost fdecided not to run it through my scanner but then I thought - what the heck? If it fades, it fades!

I want your opinion... is this a "good" gem and what is it worth? It looks very clean and transluscent to me, although if you look VERY closely you can make out a very few very tiny bubbles interspersed in the gem.

The topaz is much more beautiful and lighter orange close up, but this is the best I can do with only a scanner to work with.

 

[gemnut]

Here it is again from a side view. The frame is 18K YG and the gold weight is 15.8 gr

 

[strmrdr]

looks good to me nice color.
I dont like playing what is it worth games because there are just too many variables that pictures dont provide.

 

[strmrdr]

Aquamarine: Specific gravity: 2.68 - 2.80
topaz: Specific gravity: 3.4 - 3.6
What that means is for any given volume of material the topaz can be up too 35% heavier than Aquamarine.

This explains the size/weight issue you asked about.

 

[valeria101]

Where topaz starts to be called "imperial" is a mistery to me... It's rare enough to see one with bright, saturated pink-orange color, no brown in it and no inclusions. Amazingly enough, even the most appealing (IMO) doesn't always get the "imperial" label, while much puzzling material gets it.

Say, between these, the picture to the right looks "imperial"

There's a very useful guide to topaz on Pala's site (here).

Some topaz is senzitive to light, sure so. But not all. The deep colored brownish stones are mostly suspect, as far as I know.

With a large, finely colores and virtually flawless piece like this one infront, my first question is another: "is this syntetic" ? There's plenty of such material - spectacularly colored and dirt cheap. Without inclusions to observe, I cannot tell it apart from the real thing. Not outside a lab, that is.

I would not be surprised to be offered imperial topaz like the one in the pic for near 1k/ct, especially in smaller pieces (say, around 10 cts). I have not recently seen fine topaz this big, so I wouldn't know what prices are like - perhaps less per carat for a very large one to keep the total manageable, as ithappens to other such stones (bar the big four).

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Gemnut, have you had this stone positively ID'd by an independent gemologist?

It looks strongly suspect to me. My first guess would be synthetic orange-yellow sapphire, and second guess orange-yellow citrine (quartz). I'd be surprised if it turned out to be precious imperial topaz.

How much you paid for it would be a good indicator. If you bought it for hundreds of dollars, it's probably one of the above. If you paid thousands, it might be topaz.

Either way, it's worth checking out.

 

[gemnut]

Wow, you guys are a treasure trove of wonderful information!

Thanks for the specific gravity info Ideal Rock. It DOES explain the size discrepancy.
Valeria, my ring looks a lot like the second stone from the right on the right (the long one). It''s usually a bright orange-juice orange color that changes to darker hues depending on the light. I can''t believe it''s synthetic for two reasons: 1. It has tiny but visible imperfections deep in the stone (minute bubbles sparsely interspersed).
2. The jeweler I bought it from is very reputable and he did give me a guarantee of authenticity but not an appraisal.

So, the question in my mind now is if it might be a second rate topaz baptized as "Imperial". I do think I will try to get it independently appraised, although it''s difficult in my area to find a good appraiser.

As for the value bought, Rich, I will disagree with you - it''s not always a good indicator - jewelers could sell you anything if you are not knowledgeable enough.
Which is why I''m trying to BECOME more knowledgeable!

Thanks again and Happy New Year!

 

[Richard Sherwood]

And a Happy New Year to you as well, Gemnut.