Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-09-20
THE VIEW. "DE.s.uO.vD FRvRR.v

THE VIEW "DEsfsuOsND FBtRR.D
Most Of our readers have more or less
knowledge of the recent excitement on the
Pacific coast in regard to mines of dia-
monds and other precious stones. Ac-
counts Of discoveries, chiefly in Arizona or
contiguous regions of New Mexico, have
been multiplying, aud many explorers or
diggors have started for the new fields. As
was to be expected in such circumstances.
mining companies have been formed in
San Francisco, and other cities of The Pa
cic slope, with large amounts OF nominal
capital, and speculation in diamond stocks
seems about 10 become the new order of
the day. Meantime, wise ones have their
doubts. 1t is strongly suspected that at
least quite a.proportion of the largest sto-
ries are Cooked for the occasion and the
| statement comes from London that some
months ago rough stones of the same char
acter as have since appeared in San Fran
cisco were purchased in that market in
considerable quantities, under such cir
cumstances as to lead to suspicion that they
were TO be used somewhere as bats in
fOsting speculative "jobs'' into notice all
of which is not improbable. Wary men
thlnk twice peiore pullinB theit money IN
70 suun scneinos; anu reai lrlonus VI Tue
racine states VIII LOOK WIN lar more IN
terest upon the fruit and grain fields of
that section than upon the diamond fields.
Nevertheless, It cannot bo doubted that
to a greater or less extent what arc called
precious stones are found IN those regions.
gInr .fI Iha,. 4 A.,I., t.
Nnether any OF them are diamonds, is
more questionaDIe' What are called whlte
or water sapphlres very much resemble
the diamond, being brilliant, colorless, and
IN hardness next 10 the diamond, Tor which
they are often taken by inexpert judges.
Diamonds are nearly pure carbon, while
sapphres are nearly pure alumina. An
other form of carbon, as is well known, is
charcoal; another form of alumina is clay;
so that while without any great impropri-
ETY. diamonds may be said to crystalized
coal, sapphres may be said to be crystal
lied clay. Diamonds, however, have new
er been made to crystalize artificiallv
sappbires have. though the CRYSTALS were
an small os 10 he valueless for ornamental
nurposes. White or colorless sapnbires
have NOT boen varv common tbe yer be.
inc moro usua1lv beautiful bIne which
10 known 40 tho sannbira color tba cor-
stituents of the two bowever are rearlv
identified. except the colorinr matter 70 |
which the peculiar tint of the latter is due.
The same elements. also. e,cept the coIor.
ino matter are found i'm tho rubv tho am
etbyst. the topaz. and the emerald. These.
as is well known. are respectively red. vi |
somewhat in the exact shade in dfrerent |
specimens. "Corundum" is a name some |
times given TO this material bejno often |
uscd To include all varieties- CRYSTAL |
lied gems as well as the uncrvstalized and |
opaaue substance; though it is often used |
as referring only to the latter. Emery is |
perhaps the most common example of the |
common opaoue corundum. Its hardness
like that of the gems. ranking very high.
peculiarly fits il for the purposes for which
II is commonly used. .-.-.
Arizona should prove to be "White Sap
phires," they may still have high value; |
as would also the various colored sapphires,
If they are pure or nearly so. oriental
gems OF these various coiors are ofen held
at very high prices sometimes as high or
even higher than diamonds. The books
tell us OF ruby belonging to the collec-
ton of the Marquis OF Dree, selling for a
thousand francs, while very fine diamond
of the Same weight sold for only eight hun
dred. We are also told of two sapphires
owned in London, which are valued at $780,
600. The best sapphires have been found
IN Burmah, the most valuable OF which are
usually retained by the Indian princes.
Inferior crystals have long been found in
various European countries and in differ
ent States of our own. Several localities
are mentioned both in New Jersey and
New York where they have been met.
Prof. ). Il. smith, OF Louisville, recently
exhibited to the American association for
the advancement OF science at Dubuque
specimens OF rubies ana sapphires sent to
MN from Montana. lie also spoke OF large
deposits OF corundum in North Carolina,
where quite Valuaple gems had recently
been found. Prof. carr at the same meet
Ing, confirmed this, and referred not only
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