Topaz (GEM quality)

Item Description

A fantastic, old-time Topaz crystal dating back to the 1970s from the famed Klein Spitzkopje granite stock in Namibia. This area is certainly one of the great producers of Topaz crystals in the last 50 years or so. This particular piece is highly transparent (virtually WATER-CLEAR in the majority of the crystal) with a very pale blue color. The faces are sharp and distinct, though they do seem to have a feint amount of etching in spots. I love the blocky, textbook prismatic orthorhombic shape, and that crystal clarity is so enticing. I can see one tiny nick on one of the corners near the center of the crystal, but there is major damage, outside of the base of the crystal. A lovely representative example of these well-known Topaz crystals. Specimen weight is 64.3 grams. If I had this one priced on the shelf at a show, I would have it in the range of about $3,000-$3,500 retail.
This piece comes to us from the legendary Ron Romanella (February 28, 1932 - October 24, 2022), a well-known gem and mineral dealer from New York City. He studied mineralogy at Columbia School of Mines, and he was mentored by Dr. Frederick Pough of the American Museum of Natural History, and learned about the business side from well-known mineral dealers Hugh Ford and Maurice Hammoneau. Ron himself was a mentor to other successful East Coast mineral dealers such as Larry Conklin, Herb Obodda and even employed Dave Wilber for a time. He largely transitioned out of selling minerals as his business focused more on gems for the last few decades, and his sons Michael and Jerry have been running the family business in Scottsdale for many years now. With that said, Ron was one of the great powerhouse mineral dealers in the US for many years, offering fine quality specimens and gem crystals from classic and contemporary localities. Among his top achievements, is that Ron is credited with importing the first known crystals of Tanzanite into the US in the 1960s.