Topaz - Dassu, Shigar District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

An impressive, gemmy topaz crystal from the pegmatite fields of Dassu in the Braldu Valley, Pakistan. The crystal displays a beautiful warm sherry colour with excellent transparency and lustre, allowing light to pass through much of the specimen. Its sharply defined crystal faces and well-formed termination give it a particularly attractive and sculptural appearance.

This is a substantial single crystal, measuring approximately 4.5 cm tall and weighing 186 grams. The base shows a contact where the crystal was naturally attached to and later removed from its pegmatitic matrix. A very showy example of Pakistani topaz with an appealing combination of size, colour, clarity and crystal form.

Mineral: Topaz
Locality: Dassu, Braldu Valley, Shigar District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Mineral Class: Silicates
Dimensions: 4 × 4.5 × 4.5 cm