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 Post subject: Re: From Russia with LOVE)
PostPosted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 4:04 pm 
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Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2014 5:21 pm
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Location: Morden, MB, Canada
Once I finish my move to Canada I will photo my current inventory and put it on the website.

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 Post subject: Re: From Russia with LOVE)
PostPosted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 4:15 pm 
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Location: Morden, MB, Canada
Barbra thank your tip on faceting in 1800s, as a faceter I am very interested in demantoids faceting history.

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 Post subject: Re: From Russia with LOVE)
PostPosted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 2:16 pm 
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Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:22 pm
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Location: Lachine, Quebec
GIA wrote:
The name for imperial topaz originated in nineteenth-century Russia. At the time, the Ural Mountains were topaz’s leading source, and the pink gemstone mined there was named to honor the Russian czar. Ownership of the gem was restricted to the royal family.


That's WHY it was called Imperial.[/quote]

It is just a little bit historically incorrect but understandable remembering of Russian/Soviet Union history and luck of information from there... A few quite large pinkish-orange topaz crystals were found not even in Sanarka region but in North Ural region in the second half of 18-th century and were presented to Russian Empress Catherine II (Catherine The Great). Since that time stones were called as "Imperial". Most of that crystals has been lost during the "dark time" of the revolution (1917), but a few, 2 or 3 still are in collection of Hermitage..

I saw that crystals in 2002 when last time I was in Hermitage followed by grandmother of my friend, that old lady was working in museum for 50 years and use to take us some time to show some different historical artifacts are not being presented in the exhibition halls, and I perfectly remember that day, stones, story even I was not involved in gemology and mineralogy at all in that time...

In present time nice pinkish and rose topaz crystals are being rarely but regularly found in Ural region, around rivers Kamenka and Sanarka area... Some of them are interesting only as mineralogical collectible samples, some might be very good for cutting, but it is not a common for local digger to cut this material..

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of Ural Imperial and pink topazes and afraid to show something from internet as can not be sure it is truth.. But I can ask some people, whom I know and who finds and digs such topazes, to shae a few actual pictures. The only small picture I can refer at the moment is this on as these crystals are can be viewed in life in Fersman Museum:

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 Post subject: Re: From Russia with LOVE)
PostPosted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 11:15 pm 
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Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:31 pm
Posts: 4015
Location: North Carolina
I picked one up at Tucson--Russian, with Imperial crystal form but alas only a colorless to pale yellowish hue. Still, a triumph and a lovely crystal :D

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