The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1884-11-13
QUARTZ JEWELRY.
An Industry Confined to tho State of
California.

California.
Tho making of quartz jowolry is pecu-
liarly California industry. Its man.
ufacture was begun in tho early days
following tho gold discovery. Though
quartz tit for the art of the iewcler is
found all over California, tho best is
that coming from tho mines of the
Grass valley. 1t is not often the miner
comes across rock which would find q
sale among the jewellers. The gold has
to be evenly distributed and not lumpy,
so that it has passed through the nee
esSary stages 10 prepare it for setting
the spots and seams arc we'll scattered
through the rock. The quartz which q
miner thus procurcs is sent down either
to u bank or IN assay Office, and from
there the jcwoler receives notice that u
consignment is ready for auction. Tho
bids then depend entirely upon tho
bidders, and should y icwclcr happen
to be in want OF quariz. the amount
paid wou,d be double that which he
won.d pay on any other occasion.
AS Il rue the jewclCr pays much
higher for the rough quartz than would
one who desired to purchase the gold
to melt The quartz rs taken by the
jcwclcr is brought in Jumps weighing
from one 10 ten pounds, and in this
condition it is handed over to me-
chanic for the purpose of being cut
into slabs. The process is an easy one
and nearly similar to that followed by
The marblc-cuttcrS. The saw by which
this operation is performed is circular
and made OF sheet tin and charged with
water and emery. The quartz is held
up TO it, and in its revolutions it divides
the quartz. The slabs in which tho
quartz is cut do not generally exceed
one-cighth Of an inch in thickness.
The preliminary work is then over.
1t is not till the jcwcly is made, the
fittings, us it were, that these slabs arc
again cut, then fitted into the gold and
cementcd. 1t is then ground off level
with tho gold and finally polished until
it assumes that brightness rs when cx-
| posed for sale.
The co.orng of quartz is extremely
ricn and varied, being found in the
same section OF country in white and
black and pink and blue. Hitherto
there has been no preference expressed
by the buyer for the color of the quartz
III the trinkct Perhaps this has been
obviatcd by the .wc.cr, who, in tho
| manufacture OF even the smallest art-
Gle, never fails TO give rs varied an u.s.
sortmcnt OF quartz rs is possible. The
| method OF the valuation OF quartz rock
is peculiar. 1t is first imhcd rs any
other material, and then under water
rs rock weighs next to nothing when
under water surface. The amount of
! gold imbeddcd in tho rock can by this
| process be determined
There have not been men wanting
who have attempted to make artificial
quartz to be used in the manufacture
of large goods, i'll the way of card Ia
| bles and similar articles, but decided
failure has followed each and every at
tempt. Whether quartz jcwclry will
ever become fashionable is II question
which the business men of this city give
no long thought. They declare their
lnaDlllty to use quartz Enthusiastically, or
TO sufficiently fine it down so rs to cut
1t into delicate flowers and leaves.
| There is IN air of substantially about
all the trinkcts made for ladies, which.
though handsome, have somewhat of q
clumsy look. And the jcwelcr has to
contend against 4 difficulty which lies
on the opposite side. Quartz cannot
DC had in sufficiently large pieces to
use in the manufacture of objects of use
and ornament.
Some years ago jcwel-casket was
made in this city for the wife of q GER
tain rich Judge, which in itself was q
marvel OF beauty and elegance, it being
Of solid gold and quartz, having four
panels. each five inches in length and
three in width. Tho cost incurred in
this work was enormous and the
amount of labor incredible. Some
slight estimate of the trouble may be
formed when the maker of the casket
had to employ n man who travelled for
two entire months through tho mines
in search for quartz of sufficient size to
execute the order.
After diligcnt inquiry among several
workers it was estimated that not over
| $3.50. 600 worth Of quartz jcwclry is dis
posed of in this city during u year and
not $50 600 worth is bought for people
to wear in San Francisco. San Fra1a-
| cisco Chronicle