The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-03-26
PRECIOUS STONES.
The Insignificant Quantity of Gems Found
in This Country

The Insignificant Quantity of Gems Found
in This Country.
1t is q remarkable circumstance that,
although this country is so rich in
its mineral resources, and the world
draws from us a great part of its sup
ply of the precious metals, we have, so
far, discovered here only an insignificant
quantity of precious stones. The total
value of the gems proper mined in the
United States in 1884 was less that
$35, 900, and yet we imported during
the same year more that 81, 900, 900
worth of diamonds and other precious
stones.
The subject is elaborately treated by
George F. Kunz in a recent volume on
''The Mineral Resources of the United
States. published by the Government,
and his paper contains an array of
facts of very great and peculiar in
| terest.
Diamonds, it seems, have been found
in various parts of the country, but
chiefly in California and North Caro-
lima, though the largest diamond yet
discovered here was dug up by a la
bOrer, thirty or more years ago, in
Manchester, Va. This stone, not at
first recognized, weighed originally
234 carats, and when reduced by
cutting, II 11-16 carats, and it was
deemed so valuable that at one time
So, 900 was loaned on it, though now,
because of its undesirable color and
certain imperfections, it is not worth
more than a twentieth part of that sum.
The California diamonds, found in
fifteen or twenty different places, the
most prolific being Cherokee Flats,
Butte County, are of all the cOlors
known in the stone, white, yellow,
straw, and rose, but they are generally
very small, ranging in value from ten
to fifty dollars each. The largest, dis
covered at French Corral, weighed
| seven and one-quarter carats, and
many are unearthed whose value in the
rough is not less than one hundred dol
! lars. Diamonds are also found in
North Carolina, in association with the
flexible sand stone, called itacolumite,
which is peculiar to that State, where,
! too, sapphires of notable brilliancy
have appeared. A sapphire found at
jerks Mine, in Franklin County, is one
of the finest known specimens of the
emerald green variety, and because of
its great rarity is probably worth one
thousand dollars.
Fine specimens of crysoberyl, a stone
which sometimes is almost equal in ap-
| pearance to the yellow diamond, and is
| principally obtained in Brazil and Cey-
Ion, have been found in different parts
of New England, New York, and the
/ Southern States, and the spinel, a
beautiful gem, which is often sold for
/ Oriental ruby, is distributed the same
way. The best crystals of topaz come
from the Platte Mountains in Colorado,
one Of these, weighing one hundred and
twenty-five carats, being an extraor-
| dinarily fine gem. Only insignificant
| quantities of emeralds and beryls have
/ been found within our boundaries, but
/ garnets, which, although smaller, are
equal to the best of Africa and Cey-
Ion, are discovered on the Col
orado river plateau. The amethyst
is quite common in New England, and
appears in several places in the South
ern States. One specimen, found near
Cheshire, in Connecticut, rivals in color
the best amethyst of Siberia, but the
most remarkable native amethyst is
that lately deposited in the National
Museum by DR.. Lucas. 1t is turtle
shaped, prehistoric cutting, 2 Sd inches
in length, 2 inches in width, and 1 IL
/ inches in thickness, is transparent and
flawless.
OF all the gem stones, however, the
greatest revenue, in 1884 ten thousand
| dollars, comes from smoky quartz, the
finest specimens of which are found at
Bear Greek, in Colorado There are
also many beautiful examples of the
| less valuable stones which are in de-
mand for cabinet collections, such as
the green feldspar, or Amazon stone,
found at Pixies Peak.
But, SO far, comparatively little at
| tention has been paid to the search for
precious stones in the United States,
| though their use is much more general
| among our people than among those
of other countries. Very likely if the
hunt was pursued methodically and
persistently we should not be sending
millions abroad annually to buy dia-
mOnds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and
other brilliant and beautiful stones for
the adornment of our women, and to
lend additional glory to the hotel clerk.
Yet, however great the results obtained
from such a search, the actual profit
derived from the industry would prob
ably fail to justify and properly reward
the labor expended upon it.-N Y.