The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-05-19
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The recent volume on the sThe Mineral
Resources Il iie United States, pub
lshed BY the government, contains an
interesting paper by Mr.. George +. Klnz
on the history and production o. gem
stones IN America For a country 30
Otherwise richly endowed with mineral
Nealth'as the United States, her product
ut precious stones Is surprisingly small,
The total value q gems mined In this
country during 1854 amounted to but
sS2,e76. Almost two-shirtls Of this sum
was for minerals valuable only as cabi.
net specimens, and therefore not strictly
to b classed under the head Of gems. In
addition, the value Of the gold quarts
withheld from reduction for use In Jew.
elry and as specimens Is calculated 10 be
$4,000.
Though npolnt Of quantity and yaluo
among the most insignificant Of the en-.
tirelist, the diamond, as the stone Of all
stones, naturally receives the iirst con.
sideration. Probably the largest one
ever found in this country Is the Man.
chester diamond, which was unearthOd
BY. q laborer at Manchester Va. about
the middle Of the century. Tbs gem was
moi recognized at first, and by way Of OK.
pertinent was placed in an nirun furnace
at Richmond. After remaining ut rod
heat for two hours and twenty minutes,
II was unimparcd and brighter than 10.
fore. When recognized, itwas valued al
1900. As the stone Is oif-color and i'm,
perfect, 1t Is not worth to-day more than
from $500 to 800. The gold regionsot
North Carolina have produced a number
Of small diamonds, Among the first dis.
covered was a fine octohedron from
Brndletown creek, vulued at 800.
Some Of the finest American diamonds
come from California, though their size
iS generally quito small. Professor Whit
ney states that tile stone Is found In
fifteen or twenty different localities, the
largest that has come under his notice
having been discovered at French Corral.
1t weighed 2 IL carats. Among the
sapphire gems, q numker Of excellent
specimens have been found, particularly
in North Carolina. Probably ono OF tue
finest known specimens Of emerald green
sapphire was found at jerks mine, in
Franklin county. II Is the transparent
part Of q corundum crystal. 4 by l-s
inches. 1t would probably furnish gems
10 the amount Of 100 carats. Being very
rare, It's value Is over $1,000. Fine speci-
mems Of chrysoberyl and spinel have been
found in various localities in New Eng
land, New York, and the southern states.
The Platte mountains, in Colorado. have
Afforded the best crystals OF topaz, One
Of these weighs i25 carats, and Is as fine
a gem Of any kind as America has ever
produced,
In ganets, America has produced
stones comparable with the best products
Of Africa and tile east. Though smaller
than those found in the diamond mines
Of the cape Of Good Hope, the garlets OF
the Colorado river plateau arc 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. 1t is in
the group Of sihcates that we find the
largest value among American gem
minerals, In transparent quartz, par
hcularly fine crystals have been found In
New York. Thepurple variety, the we'll.
known amethyst, Is quite common in
New England, ono specimen found near
Cheshire, Conn.,, being almost equal in
color to the much praised Siberian gems.
The most remarkable native amethyst
Is that recently deposited in the National
museum by DR.. Lucas. 1t Is a turtle
shaped prehistoric cutting, which meas
ures 2 "a inches In length, Q inches in
width, and I l-9 inches in thickness.
The whole stone Is transparent and with
out flaw. Smoky quartz has returned
the largest revenue Of any OF the gem
stones, amounting, in 1884, to $4,000.
The finest specimens are those from Bear
creek, Colorado, where finely developed
crystals, from an inch to over four feet
In length, have been found. Quartz
crystals containing fluid cavities with
moving bubbles are Of particular inter.
est, and have been found In 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 prized as cabinet
specimens.
Numbers OF minerals also, which have
but a nominal value in themselves, are
made up into attractive articles. An
thracite Is carved and turned into va.
riety Of pretty trinkets, Of which $s,5OO
to 5000 worth are sold annually. Pipe
stone, from those red pipcstone quarries
In Minnesota which are 50 well known to
readers Of +Hiawatha- is still used for
the Same purposes, only that the pipes sell
for 81 to geo apiece, according to the
carving, and circulate strictly among
mOrtalS. Scientific American.
Acoupls Of Timo.HOnOrsd PunA
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