October 21, 2024

Perot Museum Takes Wraps Off New Exhibit Called ‘Topaz: A Spectrum in Stone’

Last week, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas took the wraps off its newest exhibit titled “Topaz: A Spectrum in Stone.” The presentation, which will run through October 2025, features more than 100 exquisite topaz specimens from every corner of the world, including the 332-carat “Imperial Flame.”

“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 Caroline Im, Director of Gems and Minerals since September of 2023. “Visitors will be captivated by the stunning range of colors, shapes and sizes of this rare mineral, including the [Texas] state gem with its distinctive ‘Lone Star Cut,’ the only gemstone cut specific to any US state.”

Im and museum CEO Linda Silver previewed “Topaz: A Spectrum in Stone” for the press and museum patrons during a Tuesday luncheon at the Lyda Hill Gems and Minerals Hall, which is one of the Perot Museum’s most popular attractions.

The one-of-a-kind collection displays the spectacular scope of crystal structures and colored stones within the topaz family, including the following:

— The Imperial Flame topaz: A magnificent 332-carat carving from Ouro Preto, Brazil. Carefully shaped and faceted over four weeks by the artisans of Kreis Jewellery in Germany, the rare red-orange gem is recognized as the largest and finest stone of its caliber in the world.

— A stupendous 9,630-carat marquise-cut gem from Brazil.

— The largest known “Lone Star Cut” of a Texas topaz: a 234-carat gem featuring a five-point star carved into the pavilion, or bottom, of the stone. The carved star reflects throughout the gem.

— A 15-pound blue topaz from Brazil.

— An etched topaz showing intricate surface patterns resulting from the topaz being partially dissolved in hydrothermal fluids.

“Topaz: A Spectrum in Stone” includes New England minerals from both Im’s alma mater, Harvard University, and a treasure from the University of Texas, topping 900 carats. There’s also a selection of topaz crystals from Volyn, a renowned region in Ukraine, famous for its large caverns of massive topaz. The exhibit also includes specimens from Pakistan, Argentina, Namibia, Brazil, Russia and many other countries.

Like many of the gems and minerals at the Perot Museum, these specimens are on loan from generous and renowned private collectors, who were willing to share their awe-inspiring specimens with the public.

According to dmagazine.com, the museum’s loan partners for this exhibit include Diane and Keith Brownlee, Carabas Collection, Mark Oran Carter, Aleksander Chournousenko, Diane Eames, Judith and James Gibbs, Harvard University, Lyda Hill, Kreis Jewellery, Larson Collection, Rob Lavinsky, Somewhere in the Rainbow, Gail and James Spann, and The University of Texas.

Located in the heart of Dallas, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science is a nonprofit educational and research organization dedicated to inspiring minds through nature and science. Visitors will find everything from dinosaurs to diamonds, packed into five levels of hands-on discovery and adventure. The museum welcomes more than one million visitors per year, 150,000 of which are schoolchildren.

Credits: Imperial Flame photo courtesy of Kreis Jewellery. Topaz luncheon and Caroline Im photos courtesy of Perot Museum. Texas topaz courtesy of UT Austin.