Using topaz??

[rollo23]

Does anyone have ideas regarding what one can do with large pieces of topaz (excellent quality from Blatherarm and Yarrow creek) Can one create a large pendant? cut a number of smaller stones? Sell it to a royal family to put on top of a sceptre? This topaz is outstanding; bright, fiery and crystal clear.
Any ideas appreciated
Steve

[mehoose]

Depending how big big is you could cut a suite, large central stone and graduated around the neck. Mebe a couple for earrings and ring.
Or a very large door knob. 

[Fullerton]

Yep, I'd go for a big pendant stone and/or make a set as Mehoose suggested.  How big is your largest facetable rough?

[lingus77]

Picture time I think!

I like the sound of the door knob or maybe matching salt and pepper shaker!

[Capt. Mendoza]

could make one of those mobile hanging thingys the faceted topaz would throw little rainbows around the room... Nah,

go a Door Knob!!!

[Findem]

When you remember the strong cleavage of topaz, you'll want it to go into a more protected environment than some of the above suggestions. A pendant is the way to go, I reckon.

[mehoose]

So not a golf ball then Findem 

[KEGS]

I'm new to these forums but Topaz does have a strong cleavage orientate it about 10-15 degrees of table and facet a show stopper.  Do not cut it to deep like a Portuguese cut can be.  This would create a fish eye effect detract from topaz’s real beauty of scintillation. 

In the past I had hunted hi and low for a rough Topaz that would cut 100 ct finished stone for a centre piece for a topaz display.  I couldn’t find one,  so I have quite a few bright sparkling (scintillating) topazes cut in modified double brilliants.  Who knows I might get a white or coloured topaz some day for the display. 

[pete]

I have a topaz that is not clear but white. It was sold as topaz and as far as I knew looked from the outside like other pebble like topaz that I had, but when cut it came out white not clear. I couldn't see through the rind before cutting so had no idea what it was like inside.
It didn't cut like quartz and has a different sparkle to quartz. Also it didn't split, chip or fracture while cutting and was relatively easy to cut.
As I understand 'white' topaz is actually clear, in which case what would my thing be?

[The Rock Hunter]

i am with mehoose i would set it in a ring 

[KEGS]

Hi Pete, you haven’t given a lot of information and people aren’t willing to guess at the risk of looking foolish.  A photo would help, a picture says a thousands words.   But ill give it a go. 

I assume this stone is faceted.  Is it transparent or translucent?  I’ll assume transparent.  As you said white (clear) topaz is clear (devoid of colour).  Quartz on the other hand does tend to have a very slight yellow hue to it.  This is easily seen when you compare a piece of cut topaz beside a piece of cut quartz.  To complicate this matter white synthetic hydrothermal quartz is devoid of colour and is used in electronics, optical industry and jewellery.

If it is topaz, there could be some river staining or rind on or just below the surface that was not been ground off in the cutting process.  If this is at or close to the bottom of the culet, this will cause the discolouration. 
You said the cut stone has a different sparkle (scintillation) to quartz.  This phenomenon is governed by the refractive index (RI) of a stone, the quality of its polish and the cut.   Cut and polish being equal the higher the RI the better the sparkle.  Some of the common clear materials RI’s are: Quartz 1.55, Topaz 1.62, Zircon 1.94, Calcite 1.48 & 1.68, Beryl 1.55, (beryl usually polishes better than quartz) Corundum (Sapphire) 9.76 and Feldspar 1.52-1.58.  If these were river gravels from Africa or Sri Lanka, you can add a heap more rarer minerals.

I personally have had some good results in polishing smokey quartz with Lindy A on tin which polish quickly and left an impressive polish, which gave great scintillation. 

Now I have made a lot of assumptions and my guess would be quartz.  Topaz is usually devoid of inclusions, calcite and feldspar are soft and have multiple cleavages, corundum is hard and slow to cut (in comparison to other stones), zircon can be distinguished by its dispersion (breaking white light into its spectrum colours) and doubling of the back facets when viewing from the table.  So we are left with quartz and beryl, both can be cloudy to the point of being cloudy but my guess is it is quartz.

[mehoose]

Ok, can that lot, mebe I been partakin.

[pete]

Hey KEGS, thanks for the info. I'll try to get a photo up asap, never had much luck with photographing small faceted stones but I'll keep working on it.
The stone is faceted and milky looking throughout. The different sparkle could be just due to a different cut I used on it ( forget the name of it). You're probably right, it's a milky bit of quartz and the seller had no idea it wasn't topaz.

[The Rock Hunter]

mmmmmm u like makeing fun of me dont u ?

[Navneetgems]

You can do different things with Topaz.  Topaz is one of the precious gemstones. we can make rings and pendants with different designs.
Here,you can also check for various design https://www.facebook.com/navneetgem/