Topaz (excellent classic locality specimen)

Item Description

The Sherlova Gora locality in Russia (part of what used to be called the Nertschinsk Gem Mines) dates back to the early 1720s, and is one of the top localities in Russia for natural blue Topaz crystals. I would rank it very closely with the classic Murzinka Mine (which is a few thousand km away) in terms of crystal color and quality, but in my experience, the specimens from Sherlova Gora are much rarer on the marketplace. This piece is one of the finest matrix display pieces we've ever had to offer from this remote locality in far southeastern Russia (near the border with Mongolia and China) featuring a predominant, sharp, lustrous, translucent, soft sky blue colored prismatic crystal of Topaz measuring 3.3 cm at its longest dimension, aesthetically perched atop a matrix comprising additional smaller blue Topaz crystals and dark Smoky Quartz (sometimes called "Morion" Quartz). There are some nicks to the Topaz crystals, so the piece is not 100% pristine, but it's really showy with the main Topaz sitting so prominently atop the matrix, creating a wonderful presentation. Additionally, this piece is a full-sized cabinet specimen, which is quite rare in my experience with this material, as most pieces I've seen were either miniatures or small cabinets. A very impressive and highly desirable specimen of this seldom-seen material from this historic locality. Russian Topaz crystals for many years were the standard of the species for their textbook crystal form and wonderful colors and transparency. You can find them in old museum collections around the world, and they are staples of any good gem crystal collection. I value this one highly for its size and beautiful arrangement, and I would have it priced on the shelf at a show in the range of about $7,500 retail. From the collection of Kurt Hefendehl (#255 Ru), a well-known German collector all over Europe with worldwide contacts to dealers and collectors. He started collecting seriously at the age of 14 and his great and varied worldwide collection reached over 6000 pieces. He was very active mineralogically until shortly before his passing in 2020 at the age of 82. Considering his collection had a large number of pieces, it still had an unusually high standard of quality from most worldwide localities. He particularly specialized in all classics as well as minerals of the Black Forest, where he spent much time collecting. His Black Forest and German subcollections went to his good friend Wolfgang Wendel. We at The Arkenstone have the privilege of offering the remainder of this great worldwide collection over the next two to three years through our various platforms.