MINERALOGY OF TOPAZ MOUNTAIN IN THE THOMAS RANGE OF JUAB COUNTY, UTAH, INCLUDING THE OCCURRENCES OF RED BERYL IS ASSOCIATED WITH TOPAZ, AMAZONITE, AND HEMATITE

Topaz Mountain located in Juab County, Utah is a topaz rhyolite that formed six to seven million years ago. This rhyolite is famous for its champagne colored topaz, bladed hematite, red beryl and many other minerals. Most of the specimens sampled from Topaz Mountain contain euhedral crystals of various combinations of each of these minerals. The rarest most interesting of the specimens is any combination that includes red beryl. Students and faculty from the University of West Georgia have collected during the last five years hundreds of samples that contained red beryl. Of these samples the most interesting are three specimens. One sample was collected on an experiential learning fieldtrip in June 2015. This sample consists of two red beryl, topaz, and thin euhedral hematite on rhyolite. The second sample on matrix is red beryl with amethyst. The third red beryl crystal sample is red beryl on a fine double terminated topaz crystal. All of these samples were collected high up on the wall of rhyolite on the north side of Topaz Valley.

This research is focused on the samples collected at Topaz Mountain that contain red beryl. These samples are compared to topaz samples from the same collection site that is not associated with red beryl. For example, samples that contain red beryl, hematite, and topaz, will give a more complete understanding of its mineralogy with hand sample and field documentation coupled with thin sections and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Determining the similarities and differences of mineralogy in each of these samples will illustrate the occurrences or elements needed to form these minerals. Using the results of the research may assist future mineral collection at Topaz Mountain, Utah.