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Orange Imperial

Ritra aurea

Classification

Class
Insecta

Imperial topaz is a highly prized gem variety of the mineral topaz, distinguished by its warm golden, orange, and reddish-pink hues. It is classified as a nesosilicate with the chemical formula Al2SiO4(F,OH)2 and crystallises in the orthorhombic crystal system. The great majority of gem-quality material comes from a single mining district near Ouro Preto in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, where topaz-bearing rhyolite breccias have been exploited since the early eighteenth century.

Distribution

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