I bought a 17ct+ stone cut into a pentagon shape with a star cut into the back of it. It is a nice yellow, very good colour saturation, lovely lustre and loupe clean. It was sold to me as Topaz…however, after doing the citrine and topaz minicourses I’m questioning this. I’m going to a gemmologist next week, but in the meantime, let me know which you think it is!!
the trilliant cut stone to the left in the final photo is a citrine…it looks a lot different to my “topaz”, it’s giving me a little hope it might still be a genuine topaz!! A video of it can be seen on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKIHv7SFjb4/
Topaz is heavier than quartz, it’s also brighter than quartz.
Although not ‘defendable in court’, I have come to the point where I can tell the difference just by holding the gem.
Also not ‘defendable in court’, but IMHO that pentagon is likely radiation treated citrine/lemon citrine/oro verde citrine IF YOU ARE LUCKY.
It could also be glass.
Good luck!
Oh ok…thank you! It’s pretty heavy and super bright. I’m okay if it has been treated. Hopefully it is actually Topaz though. I paid $60 as I bidded on it in an auction, which in the scheme of things isn’t that much for a gem. Either way it’s beautiful
Meh, at $60, whether it’s citrine or topaz, you are doing alright.
Yeah, and that’s in AUD, so USD $46. It’s absolutely gorgeous so it doesn’t really matter. But it is different to all the citrines I’ve ever seen so it could still be Topaz.
Do you have the means to check RI or SG?
No I don’t have the right tools yet
Don’t walk, RUN to the store and get one yesterday!
It’s going to take you at least ten years to become ‘a human gem tester’, and even us human gem testers need tools! 
Haha, will do!
My NEED list currently consists of: refractometer, gem tweezers, and possibly a Moh hardness thingy and carat scales.
I have no tools yet XD
Looks like Citrine. If they called it “Citrine Topaz” you know it’s Citrine, too many people with No knowledge of gems get burned. Not to expensive a lesson though.
That’s just the point, they didn’t call it citrine. That vendor sold other items and some of THEM were labelled ‘citrine’ but they were a completely different shade, just like my own citrines. I’m taking it to a gemmologist anyway next week. I felt it was worth taking a risk either way. I’ve done the citrine and topaz IGS courses. I’m sure someone will buy it, it’s soooo pretty
Easy test: Just throw it into a beaker of bromoform. If it floats, it citrine. If it sinks it topaz.
Citrines come in many shades of yellow from dark whisky to light lemon. From the picture, it looks like citrine, but testing is required to know for sure. A Presidium tester will differentiate the quartzes from citrines and glass (and other gems as well) but is expensive at almost $400 (of course there are numerous gemological tools you can use). A simple non scientific test is to hold the gemstone by the girdle and touch the table to your cheek. Topaz tends to feel cooler to the cheek than quartz. If you have other known topazes or quartzes, try this test then check your new stone. This may give you a better clue until you can have it tested.
I saw your comment about not having a hardness tester. Never let anyone use hardness as a means of testing a cut gemstone for its ID… it is considered a destructive test since it will leave a scratch. There are plenty of other nondestructive tests that are very definitive and will separate a topaz from a citrine. After you get more familiar with these two mineral, you will be able to tell the topaz when you pick it since it has a S.G of 3.55 whereas quartz is only 2.65… a simple “heft” test will allow you to tell them apart.
Oh, ok! Thank you!
This should be a quartz citrine different hardness ,Ri and chemical composition.
Topaz most commonly pinkish Congnac yellow.
And also must check if is natural or irradiated or bombarded Always stone must be testing for a good gemologist.
To me first guess since it was only 60ausd would be hydrothermal quartz (man made), due to no inclusions with loupe, you definitely need to check RI, specific gravity and put it under at least a 60x microscope to see if it’s natural or man made material and tell whether it is topaz or quartz. If you have dimensions of stone in mm I might have something to compare in weight, I am gemologist and gem cutter.
It looks like a lemon yellow quartz to me. I have some that are quite large and of about the same color.
The Mohs hardness test is a destructive test to be used on rough material. You will not want to use this test if you are purchasing faceted stones. Buy a refractometer as this will help you with the identification. A refractometer paired with a specific gravity scale will pretty much guarantee the correct identification of the mineral. A polariscope would probably also help greatly.
