Topaz

specimen number:
2063830

location:
Topaz Mtn., Juab Co., Utah, USA

description:
A sherry colored terminated glassy gemmy crystal of topaz 0.7 cm in height coming off of a rhyolite matrix. In good condition.

Topaz Mountain, situated in the Thomas Range of Juab County, Utah, is world famous for its exceptional mid-Tertiary topaz crystals and associated mineral specimens. Approximately 21 million years ago, explosive volcanic activity erupted fluorine-rich rhyolite, creating cavities and gas vesicles within the cooling rock. As hot volcanic gases circulated through these hollow spaces, vapor deposition allowed topaz, dark purple fluorite, red beryl, pseudobrookite, bixbyite, and garnet to crystallize within the rhyolite matrix. The topaz from this locality is particularly renowned for its sherry-brown color when freshly collected, though prolonged exposure to sunlight bleaches the crystals to a clear or transparent appearance. Mining activity in the region has primarily focused on small-scale surface extraction and recreational specimen collecting rather than industrial ore production. Today, Topaz Mountain remains one of the most accessible and celebrated public mineral collecting sites in the United States.

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