, 1886-03-04
GEMS OF THE UNITED STATES.



ingiy smali-Groups of snicates.
The recent volume on the The Minera
Resources of the United States" pub
lished by the government, contains an
interesting paper by Mr.. George +. Kun
IN the history and production of gen
stones in America. For a country &c
otherwise richly endowed with mineral
wealth as the United States. her product
of precious tones is surprisingly small.
The total value OF gems mined in this
country during 1891 amounted TO but
$Se, 075. Almost two-thirds of this sum
was for minerals valuable only rs cabi-
net specimens, and therefore not strictly
to be Chased under the head OF gems. In
addition, the value of the gold quartz
withheld from reduction for use in Jew
elry and as specimens is calculated To be
$40. 900.
Though in point OF quantity and value
among the most insignificant of the en-
tire list, the diamond. as the stone Of all
stones. naturally receives the first con
sideration. Probably the largest one
ever found in this country is the Man
chester diamond. which was unearthed
by q laborer at Manchester. Va, about
the middle Of the century. The gem was
not recognized ut first, and by way Of ex-
pertinent was placed in an iron furnace
at Richmond. After remaining at a red
heat for two hours and twenty minutes,
II was unimpared and brighter than be-
fore. When recognized. il was valued at
1000. As the stone is o~if-color and i'm
perfect, it is not worth to-day more than
from 5000 to 300. The gold regions Of
North Carolina have produced a number
Of small diamonds. Among the first dis
covered was a fine octohedron from
Brindlctown creek. valued mt 300.
Some Of the finest American diamonds
come from California, though their size
Is generally quite small. Professor Whit
ney states that the stone is found in
fifteen or twenty different localities, the
largest that has come under his notice
having been discovered at French Corral.
IL weighed 2 IA carats. Among the
sapphire gems, n number OF excellent
specimens have been found, particularly
in North Carolina. Probably one OF the
finest Known specimens Of emerald green
sapphire was found at jerks mine, in
'btiAtls IL - bht AiduHDttitll
part Of a corundum crystal, Thy 1 10
inches. 1t would probably furnish gems
10 the amount Of 100 carats. Being very
rare, its value is over 81. 200. Fine speci-
mems Of ~chrysoberyl and spinel have been
found in various localities in New Eng
land, New York, and this southern states.
The Platte mountains, in Colorado. have
afforded the best crystals Of topaz. One
of these weighs 125 c~arats, and is as fine
a gem OF any kind as America has ever
produced.
In g%arnets, America has produced
Itones comparable with the best products
81 Africa and the EAST. Though smaller
than those found in the diamond mines
Of the cape Of Good Hope, the garnets Of
the Colorado river plateau are unsur-
passed in color and clearness. The cape
garnets retain their dark color by arti-
fetal light, but in American nothing but
the clear blood color is visible. II is in
the group Of silicates that we find the
largest value among American gem
minerals. In transparent quartz, par
ticularly fine crystals have been found in
New York. The purple variety, the we'll
known amethyst, is quite common in
New England, one specimen found near
Cheshire, Conn, being almost equal in
color 10 the much praised Siberian gems.
The most remarkable native amethyst
is that recently deposited in the National
museum by DIR. Lucas. II is a turtle
shaped prehistoric cutting. which meas
ures 2 "a inches in length, 2 inches in
width. and l i-2 inches in thickness.
The whole stone is transparent and with
out q flaw. Smoky quartz has returned
the largest revenue Of any OF the gem
stones, amounting. in 1884. to $40, 900.
The finest specimens ARE those from Bear
creek, Colorado, where finely developed
crystals, from an inch 10 oven four feet
in length. have been found. Quarts
crystals containing fluid cavities with
moving bubbles are Of particular inter
est, and have been found IN n number Of
localities. The beautiful green variety
Of feldspar known as Amazon stone,
which has been found in fine crystals at
Pixies peak, is much priced as cabinet
specimens.
Numbers Of minerals also. which have
but a nominal value in themselves, are
made up into attractive articles. An
thracite rs carved and turned into a va
riety Of pretty trinkets. of which s., 800
10 $1,000 worth are sold annually. Pipe
stone, from those red pip,stone quapics
in Minnesota which are 81 well known to
readers OF "Hiawatha" is still used for
the same purposes. only that the pipes sell
for VI to $50 apiece, according 10 the
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