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explains the vast array of topaz hues.<br />
However, sherry topaz – named after the variety of wine – is<br />
perhaps the best-known and most traditional topaz colour,<br />
ranging from yellowish brown to orange.<br />
Often, specimens that fall within this colour range are called<br />
'precious topaz' to distinguish them from less-expensive citrine.<br />
Topaz has been known as a gemstone for at least 2,000 years<br />
and is believed to take its name from the island the Ancient<br />
Greeks knew as Topazios – modern day Zabargad.<br />
The sunny gemstone’s beautiful<br />
colours can brighten almost any<br />
jewellery style, although it goes<br />
particularly well with yellow gold. An<br />
inexpensive gem, citrine is the perfect<br />
stone for popular free-form fancy cuts<br />
for unique and custom-made pieces”<br />
Harry Winston<br />
Scholars also trace its name back to the Sanskrit word tapaz,<br />
meaning "fire".<br />
Brazil is the principal source of gem-quality topaz, with the<br />
region Minas Gerais producing large yellow to orange crystals.<br />
Sapphire and garnet<br />
Next comes sapphire, from the corundum family. Like topaz, it<br />
is allochromatic.<br />
On the yellow to orange spectrum, colours range from stronglysaturated<br />
golden yellows typical in Australia to soft pastel<br />
tones seen in Ceylon sapphires.<br />
Other treatments must be disclosed if they significantly alter a<br />
gemstone’s appearance and value.<br />
Beryllium surface or sub-surface lattice diffusion has been<br />
used since the early 2000s. This treatment transforms lowquality<br />
off-colour corundum into beautiful, vibrant yellow or<br />
orange using heat treatment in combination with beryllium.<br />
Meanwhile, some of the most vibrant yellow and orange<br />
gemstones are from the beloved garnet family.<br />
In its finest quality, spessartite garnet is Fanta-orange, malaya<br />
garnet is orange to reddish-orange and hessonite garnet<br />
ranges from orange to brownish-yellow to brownish-red.<br />
Spessartite – also known as spessartine – is named for the<br />
German region of Spessart, Bavaria, where the mineral was<br />
first discovered.<br />
Today, most spessartite garnet originates from Africa, with<br />
deposits of high-quality material found Namibia and Nigeria in<br />
the 1990s.<br />
In recent times, spessartite deposits are active in Mozambique<br />
and Madagascar, though supply is relatively limited.<br />
Spessartite is a manganese aluminum silicate; the element<br />
Gerrim<br />
Yael Sonia<br />
Burmese<br />
Gemstones<br />
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Originally from<br />
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1300 00 62 97<br />
info@mays.com.au<br />
Sterlé Paris, Christie's<br />
mays.com.au
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