Topaz

specimen number:
2292281

location:
Thomas Range, Juab Co., Utah, USA

description:
Glassy gem crystals of topaz measuring to 2.0 cm in length coming off matrix. In great condition.

The Thomas Range, located within Juab County, Utah, is a world-renowned mineral locality celebrated for producing highly lustrous, sherry-colored topaz crystals. Geologically, these crystals are hosted within the Topaz Mountain Rhyolite, a series of high-silica volcanic lava flows and domes that erupted during the Oligocene Epoch roughly 6 to 7 million years ago. As the thick rhyolitic lava cooled and contracted, trapped volcanic gases formed numerous open cavities and lithophysae, which were subsequently filled by fluorine-rich hydrothermal vapors that deposited topaz, bixbyite, pseudobrookite, and red beryl directly onto the interior walls. Early discovery of these gem-quality crystals dates back to the late 1800s, attracting formal mineralogical documentation by the 1890s and generating steady interest from mineralogists and field collectors alike. Rather than supporting large-scale industrial or corporate gemstone mining, the rugged terrain has historically been worked via small-scale seasonal quarrying, private specimen claims, and public recreational collecting areas, with active specimen extraction continuing to yield fine collectors material well into the 2020s.

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