Topaz Mountain
| Topaz Mountain | |
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Topaz Mountain from the East
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,052 ft (2,149 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 706 ft (215 m) |
| Coordinates | 39°42′34″N 113°06′21″W / 39.709428906°N 113.105957406°WCoordinates: 39°42′34″N 113°06′21″W / 39.709428906°N 113.105957406°W |
| Geography | |
 Topaz Mountain
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| Location | Juab County, Utah, U.S. |
| Parent range | Thomas Range |
| Topo map | USGS Topaz Mountain East |
Topaz Mountain is a summit in the Thomas Range of Utah, east of the Thomas caldera. The summit and surrounding area is known for its relative abundance of semiprecious minerals including topaz, red beryl and opal.
Topaz Mountain is part of the Thomas Range, located in Juab County, Utah, approximately 36 miles Northwest of Delta, Utah. The mountain lies on publicly owned land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Collection of rocks and mineral is permitted at Topaz Mountain and, as a result, the area is frequented by amateur as well as professional rock hounds.
Topaz is a semiprecious gemstone that occurs as very hard, transparent crystals in a variety of colors. Topaz crystals, such as those found at Topaz Mountain, are naturally amber colored, but become colorless after exposure to sunlight. Topaz forms within cavities of the volcanic rock, rhyolite, from eruptions that occurred six to seven million years ago during the Tertiary Period. Topaz is embedded in the rhyolite rock, and also found loose on the slopes and arroyos.
Red beryl, a rare mineral found at Topaz Mountain, occurs as small crystals, often attached to other mineral crystals. It is estimated that one red beryl crystal is found for every 150,000 diamonds. Prices for top quality natural red beryl can be as high as $10,000 per carat for faceted stones.
A variety of other minerals are found at Topaz Mountain including garnet, amethyst, opal, pseudobrookite, and hematite.
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Wikipedia