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| Photography by Albert Russ |
SOUTH AMERICA
Topaz from Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Imperial Topaz, with its distinct peach, pink, orange or champagne hues, is the rarest topaz variety. The primary source is the Ouro Preto mines of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Ouro Preto is the only location with occurrences of Imperial Topaz deposits, which can produce it in a commercial scale. Thus, Ouro Preto and its mines of Imperial Topaz and gold make a new history, which conveys throughout the world the beauty of its natural reserves.
Meanwhile, this region has become the only one capable to provide the world market with this mineral. The total production of eye-clean ware is 100.000 carat per year - a number which underlines the uniqueness of this mineral! Per year, around 100kg of the precious crystal are found in the Imperial topaz belt west of Ouro Preto. Only a small share will eventually be processed.
To dig this amount of Imperial topaz, more than 150.000 cubic meters of yellow to auburn colored talc are mined. Only in this level (depth: 1 to 8 meters), there are lodes of kaolin where Imperial topaz is to be found - together with other minerals, such as quartz, rutile, hematite, and also the rare green or blue euclase.
Up until December 2009, our raw gems solely came from the Capao mine in Rodrigo Silva. Due to tightened requirements by Brazilian environmental law, this mine had ceased production for four months, starting in December 2010. During that time, some other, smaller, mines around the area of Dom Bosco had provided a secure supply. The Capao mine is back in production (since April 2010), even when it produces in smaller amounts now.
Only about 0.5 percent of the crystals that are cut are of the color sherry. Even more rare are the colors lilac and purple. Sometimes, bi-colored gems and crystal tops with different ends can be found. Most common the market are the colors of golden yellow and cognac.
The price for one carat of faceted, eye-clean Imperial topaz lies between 200 and 400€/ct. Cherry-red gemstones cost between 2,000 and 4,000 Euros per carat, depending on the intensity and size. Gems with a size of 20 carat or bigger are rare. Hence, they often are sold to high collector's prices.
Photography by Albert Russ
Collection: 2010 Munich show exhibit themed "Brazil"
Topaz from Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Imperial Topaz, with its distinct peach, pink, orange or champagne hues, is the rarest topaz variety. The primary source is the Ouro Preto mines of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Ouro Preto is the only location with occurrences of Imperial Topaz deposits, which can produce it in a commercial scale. Thus, Ouro Preto and its mines of Imperial Topaz and gold make a new history, which conveys throughout the world the beauty of its natural reserves.
Meanwhile, this region has become the only one capable to provide the world market with this mineral. The total production of eye-clean ware is 100.000 carat per year - a number which underlines the uniqueness of this mineral! Per year, around 100kg of the precious crystal are found in the Imperial topaz belt west of Ouro Preto. Only a small share will eventually be processed.
To dig this amount of Imperial topaz, more than 150.000 cubic meters of yellow to auburn colored talc are mined. Only in this level (depth: 1 to 8 meters), there are lodes of kaolin where Imperial topaz is to be found - together with other minerals, such as quartz, rutile, hematite, and also the rare green or blue euclase.
Up until December 2009, our raw gems solely came from the Capao mine in Rodrigo Silva. Due to tightened requirements by Brazilian environmental law, this mine had ceased production for four months, starting in December 2010. During that time, some other, smaller, mines around the area of Dom Bosco had provided a secure supply. The Capao mine is back in production (since April 2010), even when it produces in smaller amounts now.
Only about 0.5 percent of the crystals that are cut are of the color sherry. Even more rare are the colors lilac and purple. Sometimes, bi-colored gems and crystal tops with different ends can be found. Most common the market are the colors of golden yellow and cognac.
The price for one carat of faceted, eye-clean Imperial topaz lies between 200 and 400€/ct. Cherry-red gemstones cost between 2,000 and 4,000 Euros per carat, depending on the intensity and size. Gems with a size of 20 carat or bigger are rare. Hence, they often are sold to high collector's prices.
Photography by Albert Russ
Collection: 2010 Munich show exhibit themed "Brazil"
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