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"Diamond Bright" Antique Genuine Natural Russian One and One-Half Carat Faceted Oval Cut White Topaz Semi-Precious Gemstone.

CLASSIFICATION: White Topaz Faceted Oval.

ORIGIN: The Ural Mountains, Russia. 19th Century.

SIZE: Length: 8mm. Width: 6mm. Depth: 4mm (thickness).

WEIGHT: 1.49 carats.

NOTES: Upon request we can set your gemstones as a ring, pendant, or into earrings.

DETAIL: A nice, eye clean, faceted oval-cut white topaz semi-precious gemstone, with much the sparkle and flash of diamond. Used for centuries as a diamond substitute in Russia, while not absolutely flawless, this is a gorgeous crystal-like faceted oval cut from good quality topaz. To the eye the gemstone is clean, and even under a 5x glass there are no discernible inclusions. The images here are a magnification level of five, so you can good a good idea of the relative quality. This is truly a very beautiful gemstone, and to the naked eye, has the appearance of being flawless, and indeed looks like a large faceted oval cut diamond. The trained eye will easily discern from the photo that the gemstone has been hand-faceted. The coarseness of the 19th century faceting is considered appealing to most gemstone collectors, and is not considered a detriment. Unlike today's computer controlled machine processes, the cut and finish of gemstones such as these is the legacy of an artisan who lived two centuries ago. Such antique hand-faceted gemstones possess much greater character and appeal than today's mass-produced machine-faceted gemstones.

This gemstone has great luster and sparkle, and to the eye is certainly transparent; but it is not entirely flawless. True, the blemishes it possesses are virtually invisible to the naked eye, and the gemstone could almost be characterized, to use trade jargon, as "eye clean". However magnified several times over, as it is here, you can see an imperfection (included material) or two within the gemstone and occasional irregularities in the finish. But these characteristics are not only expected of hand-finished gemstones, you must also consider that two centuries ago the mining techniques even possible then, let alone in practice, did not allow the ultra deep mining operations which are so prevalent today. Two centuries ago mankind was more or less limited to surface deposits or near surface deposits of gemstones. Higher quality gemstones which today are routinely mined from beneath hundreds of meters, even kilometers beneath the earth's surface, were simply inaccessible then. So antique gemstone must be appreciated as antiques first, gemstones second. The relatively superlative quality of gemstones routinely mined from deep beneath the earth's surface today were simply not accessible two centuries ago, or at least, only rarely so. However for most, the unique nature and character of antique gemstones such as this more than makes up for included imperfections and rough features, which by and large, are only visible under magnification.

HISTORY: The origin of topaz in the ancient world was a small island in the Red Sea known as Topazion, a Greek term meaning "to guess". The island was typically obscured by fog, making it difficult for early navigators to find. Typically yellow, topaz in the ancient world was held as a talisman to protect against evil and was used to treat many different ailments including asthma. The ancient Greeks believed topaz would give great strength to whomsoever wore the stone, and was also worn as an amulet to ward off enchantment, In ancient Egypt the golden glow of yellow topaz symbolized "Ra", their sun god. There are also many references to "topaz" in ancient texts, including numerous references in the Bible. It is believed that the topaz of modern mineralogists was unknown to the ancients. Rather, that the stone called topazios was the mineral chrysolite or peridot. Likewise, the "topaz" referred to in the Old Testament was most likely chrysolite. Topaz is found in yellow, orange, green, blue, red, and white (colorless) hues. Topaz is one of the hardest minerals in nature, and for that reason, highly valued as a gemstone.

SHIPPING OPTIONS: All purchases are backed by an unlimited guarantee of satisfaction and authenticity. If for any reason you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it for a complete and immediate refund of your entire purchase price. Most of these antique gemstones were originally part of two collections, one originating in India principally composed of gemstones originally mined in India, Burma, Ceylon, and Siam, and then hand faceted in India. The addition of a second accumulation of antique gemstones originally mined in the Urals in the mid to late 19th century (including alexandrite) completed the collection. These gemstones as well were hand finished. The Urals have been one of the world's major sources of precious and semi-precious gemstones for many centuries. As well, additional specimens are occasionally acquired from other institutions and dealers in Eastern Europe and Asia. These antique gemstones are now in the United States and are available for immediate delivery.

We ship inventory from the USA order fulfillment center near Seattle, Washington. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipping within 48 hours of payment. A certificate of authenticity is available upon request. We prefer your personal check or money order over any other form of payment - and we will ship immediately upon receipt of your check (no "holds"). We will accept PayPal payments. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE".