Swiss Blue Topaz (cut and carved by Brett Kosnar)

Item Description

Swiss Blue Topaz has been around for approximately 30 years and made a huge splash when it was introduced on the market. This material typically starts out as colorless Topaz and is treated to create the intense blue color. This method is well known in the gem trade and is not at all frowned upon, provided that people KNOW that they're buying a treated gem. The color in this material is what attracts collectors. There are actually very few gems in the world with this color and this gem has a great blue hue. This gem was created by Brett Kosnar in late May of 2011. The stone has a beautiful custom "Cut Corner Triangle" cut, but that alone is not what makes the gem so attractive. Brett actually hard-carved the pavillion (underside) of the gem with diamond tools in order to create unique concave surfaces on the facets of the stone. These concave shapes allow for an ehanced return of light (brilliance) in the gem as the light entering the stone is not only reflecting off solid facets, but also three-dimensional rounded surfaces! It takes a skilled artisan to create stones like this, and Brett is quickly becoming more than a gem cutter with work like this. As you can see from the photos, the gem is amazingly bright and it's easy to see that this is not a faceted stone, but a piece of gemstone artwork. The size of the stone would make it a great candidate for a one-of-a-kind pendant, or would easily stand alone in a gem display box. Enjoy!