Topaz, Cleavelandite, and Muscovite ex Meieran

Item Description

WOW...This shocking gem species cabinet specimen from the Gene Meieran gem crystals collection features a stand-up vertical crystal of Topaz measuring 5 cm (2 inches) tall, and 2 cm thick. It is 3.5 cm wide. It is so impressive and sharp, and gemmy, for the location that it came mislabelled as Katlang (where the so-called imperial topaz comes from, in another valley of Pakistan, because of the quality). But, a small bit of green fluorite in the matrix gives this away as a topaz from Dassu, just a superlative one. As with most large topaz crystals from this high mountain deposit, the deposits have fractured and exposed crystals sometimes just pop off. We believe this has one repair only, a lock-fit connection 2 cm down from the top of the topaz. You may see another horizontal crack below if you look closely, but that does not go through, as it is held in place solidly by the enclosing rosettes of cleavelandite which give stability and support to the otherwise exposed and upright crystal. Like many of the older specimens of importance in the collection, this has not been through a modern laboratory. A modern lab treatment would result in a much cleaner-looking topaz (although it is already great!) and hide even the trace cracks, resulting (in my opinion) in quite a nice upside in value as well. It just needs a little love and care in a lab, and probably has not been touched in a decade or more, to improve it compared to old style trimming and cleaning. This is the beauty of old collections - they are not only cross-sections in time in terms of what came out of the ground but also, as Charlie Key used to say, cross-sections in time of HOW things were collected, prepared, and brought to market. This collection was built in an era of minimal retouching, cleaning, and preparation equipment, and this is why buying things out of these old collections can yield a good upside today. This is a spectacular, special specimen on a shelf, with unusual aesthetics for a gem Pakistani topaz. It stands apart from the rest. Valued ???