The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is introducing a new exhibit: Topaz: A Spectrum in Stone. The exhibit highlights the mesmerizing beauty of one of nature’s most captivating minerals.
Topaz: A Spectrum in Stone, presented by Texas Counter Fitters, will open on Oct. 16, 2024, and continue through Oct. 14, 2025, in the Lyda Hill Gems and Minerals Hall.
The exhibition showcases over 100 exquisite topaz specimens from around the world, featuring a dazzling range of colors and sizes. This remarkable global collection is the first curated by Caroline Im, the Museum’s director of gems and minerals.
“This exhibit, my first at the Perot Museum, highlights the beauty and significance of topaz, especially Texas topaz, alongside other locations from around the world,” said Im in an official statement. “Visitors will be captivated by the stunning range of colors, shapes, and sizes of this rare mineral, including the state gem with its distinctive ‘Lone Star Cut’, the only gemstone cut specific to any U.S. state.”
The collection showcases the diversity of crystal structures and colors found within the topaz family. Highlights include the Imperial Flame topaz, a 332-carat carving from Ouro Preto, meticulously crafted over four weeks and regarded as the largest and finest of its kind in the world. Also featured is a 9,630-carat marquise-cut gem from Brazil, along with the largest known "Lone Star Cut" Texas topaz — a 234-carat gem with a five-point star carved into its pavilion, symbolizing the state. The exhibit also boasts a 15-pound blue topaz from Brazil and etched, displaying intricate surface patterns formed by partial dissolution in hydrothermal fluids.
The exhibit highlights the global exploration of topaz, featuring specimens from Texas, across the United States, and countries such as Pakistan, Argentina, Namibia, Brazil, Russia, and many others. As with many gems and minerals displayed at the Perot Museum, these remarkable pieces are on loan from generous and esteemed private collectors worldwide, eager to share their breathtaking specimens with the public. “Topaz: A Spectrum in Stone” also showcases minerals from New England, including a treasure from the University of Texas weighing over 900 carats, as well as topaz crystals from Volyn, a notable region in Ukraine known for its expansive caverns filled with massive topaz.
Blue topaz, the state gem of Texas, is showcased at the Perot Museum, celebrating the Lone Star State’s geological treasures. While blue topaz holds special significance, a range of other colors, including clear or white topaz — the most common variety — can also be found throughout Texas.
The Museum recommends that visitors plan their trip in advance due to the popularity of the collection. More details can be found at perotmuseum.org.
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