Red Topaz

[MINE!!]

Anyone seen it or know why it is red... (well looks more dark pink to me) I saw a girl with one and she said it was a red topaz. At first I thought it was a raspberry garnet.. but it seemed less red to me that a garnet. She said that it was a red topaz.

 

[MINE!!]

It was a little darker than this. But I heard that the truely rare ones were the orangey-red Topaz. I think this looks like a deep pink though.

 

[MINE!!]

I am sure that this stone is quite a bit darker in person... but I think that this is what I would consider a redder color (this is a raspberry garnet)

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Pink topaz crystallizes in the dipyramidal orthorhomic crystal system, with long prismatic crystals having a domed pyramidal top.

From the body of the crystal are usually cut emerald cut pink topaz. Color concentrates at the tip of the crystal though, and from this tip are cut round, oval and cushion cut "red topaz" stones.

These stones are colored by the trace element chromium, rarely exceed 5 carats in size, and have a strong purple modifying hue. They are in essence "concentrated pinks". Because this color is only found in the tips of the rough crystals, they are rare, and can be quite costly.

This magnificent gemstone is not to be confused with the brownish "rootbeer red" topaz found in Mexico and Utah, which is more common and less valuable than "red topaz".

 

[mogok]

Hum,

We have seen several coated red topaz at AIGS lab. The process was a kind of "vapor deposition"... They where red and quite matching of course. This last aspect is the thing that intrigate me on the photo as this color for topaz is not easy to find. The treatment was easy to identify using an immersion method, the stone became then colorless.
All the best,

 

[rainbowtrout]

Immersion method?

 

[valeria101]

Date: 1/6/2006 10:09:26 PM
Author: rainbowtrout
Immersion method?

= dip the stone in a liquid of the same RI as topaz. Normally, topaz would ''disappear'' from view because of the match of RI, but the coating does not have the very same RI and a coated stone does not match the RI of the liquid and does not fade from view.

I don''t do this every day, as you may guess, and never tried immersion ID for coated topaz. Honestly, the stones stand out like a sour thumb with no further investigation needed than some common sense and a good look.

On the side... coated topaz is a relatively inexpensive thing and few bother discussion it''s merits and flaws (how well does it stand wear etc.). Some time ago I found a pretty good & short report about it: Here It Is

Red topaz... I have only seen it twice, not having looked after one on purpose. The better antique jewelry around here is Russian - and I think those pieces were from some Russian source as well. Online, one comparable example may be this (LINK) - quite a bit larger than those I''ve had the luck to meet. As Vincent says, ''red'' is red topaz is a deep, saturated pink.

Hope some of the ramble is down to the point.


I would be curious to know where these red Russian stones came from - if the source is known. Just curious.