A very gemmy, intensely colored example of these famous heliodors from the old topaz mines of Wolodarsk. This piece is fat, juicy, and has brilliant luster. It has a surface that is more rough than one normally sees, which is a matter for personal taste in the choice of how much complex etching one would like to see on the surface (they all have some degree of etching). The crystal is doubly-terminated, although a bit crudely on the bottom. Now, big fat examples are harder to come by on the market. When they do turn up, they are too often treated by gem labs to turn them into aquamarine, which is far more valuable as gem rough material. Joe Budd Photos.