Marambaia 'Swiss Blue' Topaz Ring (Natural Treated Topaz), 6mm x 1.10 Carat Cabochon selling Cut, Sterling Silver Ring

'Marambaia' topaz is named after the region in Brazil mine in which it's mined : Marambaia, in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Like the Zultanite 'brand' of Diaspore it's one of those gems cleverly marketed on the TV shopping networks as something exceptionally rare, for which consumers are encouraged to pay a 500% premium. Some would argue that this is just a high pressure television marketing exercise though, since equivalent quality specimens (like the one in this listing) - can be found in gem markets worldwide for considerably lower prices.

Marambaia Topaz comes in two shades : a deep 'London Blue' hue with a velvety luster; and a lighter, brighter 'Swiss Blue' hue whose vivid azure/cerulean conjures the colour of a Caribbean seascape. In both cases the intense colour of the Marambaia topaz is achieved by irradiating the raw gem material in a gamma ray facility in the presence of a radioactive isotope named cobalt-60. Please don't be concerned about lingering radioactivity in the gem though! The toxic doses applied are extremely low and the selling residual radioactivity is always left to decay (evaporate) for many months before they're cut into gemstones, as the following Fact Sheet from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission explains ...
www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/irradiated-gemstones.html

Apologies for irradiating you with all this information ... but there's a lot of hype associated with this particular type of gemstone and plenty of misconceptions about irradiation, both of which I wanted to clarify in my product description to help you make an informed decision about your (possible) purchase.

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This ring features a 6mm diameter topaz cabochon set in a hand made sterling silver band.

The topaz was mined in Marambaia, Brazil, and is natural though treated by radiation to enhance its colour and clarity. As you can see from the photos the gem is crystal clear and shows intense colour in the purest of azure blues, like a bright vitreous version of Pantone's 16-4725 'Scuba Blue' (see photo#4). The cabochon is neatly cut with a neat high domed profile that shows perfect symmetry and an unblemished surface. It measures 6mm (diameter) x 3.5mm (high) and weighs 1.10 carats.

The band is solid sterling silver, gently tapered, and minimalist in style. It measures 3.5mm (wide) x 1.5mm (thick) at the crown, tapering down to 1.5mm x 1mm at the base. All up the ring weighs a comfortable 1.9 grams. As with all Salon Petite rings, both the prong tips and band edges have been micro-polished to limit the chances of the metalwork catching in hair or on clothing, and to assure the ring slips easily on and off the finger.

Presentation for the ring includes a hinge-lid gift box lined with colour coordinated Japanese Unryu papers. Unryu is a handmade designer paper that contains strands of plant fiber for colour and contrast - very pretty. Dressing up my jewellery for display and gift-giving is one of my favourite parts of the Etsy process. If you'd like to see a photo of the presentation do please drop me a line and I'll be pleased to send you a photo!

Sizing ...
The inside diameter of this ring is 17mm which translates to the following sizes ...
Size ... 6.75 (US)
Size ... 13.5 (China and Japan)
Size ... N (United Kingdom & Commonwealth)

Resizing ...
If you like this ring but it's not the size you want I'll gladly recreate it to any size you specify at no additional charge. Just let me know at the checkout by specifying the size you require and whether the measurement system you use is [US] or [China and Japan] or [United Kingdom]. It usually only takes me a day or two to rebuild a ring - much of which is time spent tumble-polishing the piece back to a super shiny finish - so please allow a little extra time for delivery in this case.