cleaning topaz

Hello everybody,

What is the best way of cleaning topaz from the Thomas Range Utah.
Especially the small layer of matrix surrounding the cristals.

Greetings,
cesco ramakers

Send us a picture.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Hey,

Here's a picture of some of the topaz specimens I have.
The largest crystal is about 3.3 cm.
cesco

Personally I'd leave them as you found them, I don't believe in cleaning off what is how they were found !

They are most likely grown into the crystal, so "cleaning" them is not going to give you a smooth crystal face

Some use air abrasion tools to remove the rhyolite on the outside of the crystals but there is nothing one can do about the included rhyolite that is so common in these specimens. Not having an air abrasion tool, I mechanically removed the surface rhyolite (seems to be somewhat siliceous) with a range of dental picks under the microscope.

Thanks everybody,

I shall give it try with the dentalpicks to remove some matrix.

That matrix penetrates well into the crystals you have shown, and in a perfect world where there was some magic chemical potion to remove the rhyolite matrix you would find them ending up very pitted anyway.
Enjoy them the way they are!