Topaz

specimen number:
2063638

location:
Villa Rica, Minas Gerais, Brazil

description:
A loose glassy mostly gem terminated crystal of Imperial topaz. In great condition all around. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark. The crystal weighs 10.54 g.

Located within the geological region known as the Quadrilatero Ferrifero in Minas Gerais, Brazil, Villa Rica (now known as Ouro Preto) sits upon complex Proterozoic metamorphic sequences dominated by quartzites, schists, and phyllites. The region gained world fame in the late seventeenth century during the massive Brazilian Gold Rush when bandeirantes discovered extensive alluvial gold deposits, leading to the founding of Villa Rica as a colonial mining stronghold. Hydrothermal fluids migrating through sheared phyllites and carbonate-bearing rocks facilitated the formation of quartz veins hosting precious mineral specimens. Villa Rica and its surrounding deposits became internationally renowned as the premier commercial source of imperial topaz, a rare gem-quality silicate mineral prized for its intense golden-yellow, orange, peach, and pink hues caused by trace metallic impurities. Today, traditional mining operations and specimen extraction from weathered clay beds and vein systems continue to supply collectors worldwide with highly prized, prismatic imperial topaz crystals.

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