A photo of the American Golden Topaz in its display
case. The sphere right along side it is the Golden
Topaz Sphere, which weighs 12,555 carats.
The stone being held for this photo, to show scale. :)
As I was reading your February issue, I was most amazed by the short article from "Gem Cutters News" describing deep gouges on the table of the American Golden Topaz. The article is totally untrue! The topaz is currently on display in our newly opened Gem Gallery and is as pristine as when it was given to us. There are no gouges of any kind on the stone, and consequently we certainly have not contacted any faceters about working on the gem. I have no idea where, or with who this fabricated story originated, but I would be grateful for your assistance in passing on the word that the American Golden Topaz is as magnificent as ever and survived its many journeys to shows around the country unscathed. I know that it is impossible to check every story that might be of interest to your readers, but for any that pertain to the Smithsonian Collection, I will always be happy to confirm the information and/or answer any questions you might have.
Best Regards, Jeffrey E. Post, Curator, National Gem and Mineral Collection.
@http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com