The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-02-03
AMERICAN GEMS.


AMERICAN GEMS.
Quality and Value Of Precious Stones |
Found In the U"itsd states.
Mr.. George E. Kunz, Of this city, is
the author Of an admirable monograph |
on Precious Stones" issued by the
Department Of the Interior. being an alb
stract from the Report Of the United
States Geological Survey in regMh to
the Mineral Resources Of Tia United.
States" In these sixty pages The
student Of this most fascinating deRSrt~sl
ment Of minerslogy will find in
formation which he could not !,
possibly gather from other ou,ces
or by any amount Of personal
effort. NJ Knnz 10 snE indofatigsble
student and collector, and writes no
line which does not contain some fact
OF interest. eaiot = glanA u
Considering the vast extent q our
territory, this country is not remark
able for its precious stOhes. In 1884
more than $4,000, 000l worth Of
diamonds and other ppsciess sstonesl
were imported and entered for COM
sumption in the United States. In
that same year it is roughly estimated
that the value of stones found in the
United States and sold, as specimens,
curiosities and to cut into gems, was
considerably less than $780, 200. But q
very small part of this includes .st0nesi
ranked as precious, most of u boin9
| expended for fine specimens ofvarieties
of QUARTZ. gMrnets, etc. : But our
variety Of truly beautiful mineral de-
posits and erystsh is rich enough to
awaken the enthusiastic interest of
\ every one who finds in stones the en-
dnring glory which is so frail and
evanescent in foliage and flowers. IA
Diamondsshsve been found in yir.
giniA, North Carolina; California and
other places, but nowhere II such num-,
bers and Of such quality asto command
much Attention; $500 il said to be the
highest prise paid for . California din-
nond In the rough. though large num-
bers haze been sold for from 90 to
11OQ each. Valuable emerald green
sapphirss (oriental emerald) have been
found az Franklin, N. c.. and sap
phire gems Of other types have been
found In other. parts of the State. also
IN Pennsylvania, Montana and else!
where. But All together thew could
not be 81 much value. for the eetim ated
value OF sapphire gems found and sold
in 1888 was %, $50, and IN 1884 only
81 $50. HeSfys~ VT :
Still we have some remarkable tales
of gem discoveries relating TO our own
neiehborhood. Twenty wears ago i'm
,mense sn;nel CRYSTALS were fnund near
Monroe. Orange County. N. Y. The
exact locality was known only to two
mineralogists, "who worked it for sew
eral years by moonlight for secrecy,
and from 1t took cry stalls that realized
over $4,000. Since the death OF the
- former miners the position OF this most
wonderful iccality has been unknown. y
One of the finest gems ever found in
America is : topaz Of 1876 carats, from
Platte Mountain, nesr Pixies Peak.
Mr.. iKunz says that topaz crystals from
this locality are equal in quslity ia
many of the finest of the same size
from Siberia, aud are sold at . valua-
ton Of from fifty cents to 800 each.
), EmeraMs are found in New England
and North Carolina, but scarcely any
of gem value Their near relatives,
the. beryls and aqua-marines, are found
In a greater variety of places, and
many Of them are very transparent and
beautiful. W. 5fr.S8q'