Antique 19thC 11ct Russian Honey Orange Imperial Topaz
| Start Price |
USD 499.99 |
| Current Price |
USD 499.99 |
| Time Left |
- |
| Bid Count |
0 |
| Buy It Now Price |
- |
| Reserve Price |
- |
| Start Time |
Friday, November 14, 2008 |
| End Time |
Sunday, December 14, 2008 |
| Location |
Seattle, Washington |
|
See more about 'Antique 19thC 11ct Russian Honey Orange Imperial Topaz'
|
Description
Your browser does not support JavaScript. To view this page, enable JavaScript if it is disabled or upgrade your browser. Increase Sales by 18% and double your hits - Vendio Gallery Click here to see 1200 CD's, antique gemstones and handcrafted jewelry items on our eBay store! Antique Genuine Natural Russian Eleven Carat Faceted Champagne-Orange Imperial Topaz Oval. ORIGIN: The Ural Mountains, Russia. 19th Century. CLASSIFICATION: Imperial Topaz Faceted Oval. SIZE: Length: 14mm. Width: 12mm. Depth: 8mm. All measurements approximate. WEIGHT: 11.13 carats. NOTES: Upon request we can set your gemstones as a ring, pendant, or as earrings (click here for more information). DETAIL: A gorgeous, richly colored champagne-orange natural “imperial” topaz from the Ural Mountains of Russia. Gorgeous, vibrant, vivid and richly hued this striking semi-precious gemstone is of exceptionally high quality and possesses breathtaking luster. Certainly flawless to the eye, even at 500% magnification (such as these images here) it is extremely difficult to detect any blemishes. The gemstone was hand crafted into a sparkling faceted oval full of flashes of fiery brilliance by a 19th century Russian artisan. Czarist Russia was of course known throughout the Renaissance and Victorian worlds for its elaborate and costly jewelry. Russian Imperial Topaz, also known as “precious topaz”, is a very rare naturally colored gemstone, the most costly variety of topaz. The color ranges from yellow to orange, pink and peach to purple, and occasionally even red. Most pink imperial topaz is produced by heating yellow or orange imperial topaz. Discovered in the 19th century in the Ural Mountains of Russia, together with alexandrite, it was mined and produced exclusively for the royal family. By imperial decree only the Czars of Russia were permitted to own or to gift this rare gemstone. With the revolution in 1917 came a total export ban on imperial topaz – it was not until post-Soviet Russia that a small amount of imperial topaz was exported from Russia in the 1990’s. By the year 2000, the mines were played out and abandoned. Today imperial topaz is mined in Brazil, and some very small quantities in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Even the imperial topaz mined in Brazil, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan is expensive – prices of $1,000 per carat are not unusual. But Russia Imperial Topaz is gone, available in limited quantities here and there, typically in the form of antique gemstones. Though the Southern Ural Mountains of Russia have been producing topaz for centuries, this remains nonetheless a rare and uncommon gemstone. Under magnification the gemstone shows the unmistakable characteristics of having been hand crafted. The coarseness of the 19th century finish is considered appealing to most gemstone collectors, and is not considered a detriment, or detract from the value of a gemstone. These characteristics are not only expected of hand-finished gemstones, most serious collectors consider such gemstones more desirable, possessed of greater character and uniqueness when compared to today's cookie-cutter mass-produced machine-faceted gemstones. Unlike today’s computer controlled machine produced gemstones, the cut and finish of a gemstone such as this is the legacy of an artisan who lived two centuries ago. This gemstone possesses superb luster and sparkle, and to the eye is completely transparent, but one cannot say with absolute certainty that it is absolutely flawless. True, the blemishes it possesses are not visible to the naked eye, and the gemstone can be characterized at a minimum, to use trade jargon, as "loupe clean". To the eye it is indeed flawless; however magnified 600%, as it is here, you might be able to just barely pick out one or two slight imperfections within the gemstone, barely perceptible even at such high magnification. Of course the same may said about almost any natural gemstone. An absolutely flawless gemstone simply is not the rule in nature. Most absolutely flawless gemstones will upon close examination be revealed to be synthetic. You might also notice under magnification occasional irregularities in the cut and finish. Naturally these characteristics are not only expected of hand-finished gemstones, you must also consider that two centuries ago the mining techniques prevalent did not allow the ultra deep mining operations which are so common today. Keep in mind that 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. For these reasons antique gemstones must be appreciated as antiques first, gemstones second. The relatively superlative quality of contemporary 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 which by and large, are (if at all) only visible under high 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. You might guess I travel extensively for a living. My profession is a purchasing agent for antique gemstones, which generally come from Russia, India, Ceylon, and Siam. I grew up in the Southern Urals of Russia, just miles away from some of the greatest gemstone producing regions in the world’s history. Alexandrite, diamond, emerald, sapphire, chrysoberyl, topaz, demantoid garnet, and many other rare and precious gemstones are produced from the mountains within mere minutes or a few hours from the city I once called home. My interest in the fabulous history of Russian gemstones and the fabulous jewelry of the Czar’s led to further education and contacts in India, Ceylon, and Siam, other ancient centers of gemstone production and finishing. Though perhaps difficult to find in the USA, antique gemstones are commonly unmounted from old, broken settings – the gold reused – the gemstones recut and reset. Before this happens, before these gorgeous antique gemstones are recut, I try to acquire the best of them in their original, antique, hand-finished state – most of them centuries old. I believe that the work created by these long-gone master artisans is worth protecting and preserving rather than destroying this heritage of antique gemstones by recutting the original work out of existence. That by preserving their work, in a sense, we are preserving their lives and the legacy they left for modern times. Far better to appreciate their craft than to destroy it with modern cutting. Not everyone agrees – fully 95% or more of the antique gemstones which come into these marketplaces are recut, and the heritage of the past lost. But if you agree with me that the past is worth protecting, and that past lives and the produce of those lives still matters today, consider buying an antique, hand cut, natural gemstone rather than one of the mass-produced machine cut (often synthetic or “lab produced”) gemstones which dominate the market today. In my travels back and forth between the USA, Asia, and Eastern Europe I also tend to accumulate a lot of books, CD’s, and audio recordings. So I oftentimes have lightly used CD’s, once-read books, audio recordings, and even some antique books I buy in Europe for sale as well. And occasionally I will find such a good buy on contemporary jewelry for my clients that I will purchase a few extra pieces to offer on eBay. These are always offered clearly labeled as contemporary, and not antiques – just to avoid confusion. I also end up with boatloads of jewelry and gemstone samples which were not fully distributed to the retailers I purchase on behalf of. Some really great pieces, including antiques, pearls, as well as some pieces of antique Russian jewelry. I have always been fascinated with jewelry and gemstones. Bangkok, Taipei, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Bombay are great places to find incredible deals on both gemstones and jewelry, and over the years I have made many friends within the trade in these five cities. So you can look for a steady flow of little treasures I discover in my travels, and I will be happy to share with you the best deals I can find through my industry acquaintances in these far-off Asian lands. Though I spend a good part of each year in Europe and Asia, most of the year I am here in the United States, and that's where all of my little treasures are. So you can count on quick shipping and careful packaging. And if I am not home - I have someone who does it for me! Domestic shipping is $3.99 for first class mail or $6.99 for Priority Mail. Domestic rates include USPS Delivery Confirmation (you might be able to update the status of your shipment on-line at the USPS Web Site). Canadian shipments are $3.99 for Air Mail; International shipments are $4.99 for Air Mail (and generally are NOT tracked; trackable shipments are EXTRA). I can add most other items I sell to the shipment for only $0.99 each. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipped within 48 hours of payment. We package as well as anyone in the business, with lots of protective padding and containers. Insurance is available for both domestic and international shipments ($12 for domestic shipments; $30 for international shipments; ONLY required when PayPal is used – you may deduct this amount if you prefer an uninsured shipment AND you pay by check or money order). We do NOT recommend uninsured shipments, and expressly disclaim any responsibility for the loss of an uninsured shipment. Unfortunately the contents of parcels are easily “lost” or misdelivered by postal employees – even in the USA. If you intend to pay via PayPal, please be aware that PayPal Protection Policies REQUIRE insured, trackable shipments. If you do NOT want an insured shipment, send us a check or money order and deduct the invoiced insurance premium. We do offer U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Registered Mail, and Express Mail for both international and domestic shipments, as well United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (Fed-Ex). Please ask for a rate quotation. I prefer your personal check or money order over any other form of payment – and I will ship immediately upon receipt of your check (no “holds”). If upon receipt of the item you are disappointed for any reason whatever, I offer a no questions asked return policy. Send it back, I will give you a complete refund of the purchase price. We do offer a certificate of authenticity (COA) upon request for all of our items. There is a $2 fee for mailing under separate cover. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE."
Place a Bid!
|
|