Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-04-01
PRECIOUS STONES OF AMERICA.
Rich Gems That are Found 1u the
United States.
San Francisco Cal

The government recently published
a volume on 1.-The Mineral Resources
of the United States" which among
other matters contains an interesting
chapter ON the history and production
of gems in America. 1t appears that
the total value Of the various gems
mined in this country in 1884 was $82-
975, but as about two-thlrds of this
sum represented minerals valuable as
cabinet specimens only, and there
fore not strictly to be classed as ge-ns,
the net amount is small considering
the mineral wealth of the country. In
addition, the value of gold quartz
withheld from reduction for use in
iewelry and as specimens is estimated
to have been $40, 900. The diamond
is found in Virginia, North and South
Carolina and California, the finest
specimens being those in our own
state. Prof. Whitney states that the
stone is found IN fifteen or twenty
places in California, and the most
prolific locality has been at Cherokee
Flat Bntte county; where hydraulic
mining has uncovered diamonds of
all colors-white, yellow, straw, and
rose. The largest he had seen was at
French Corral. It weighed seven and
a quarter carats. The highest price
paid for California diamond in the
rough, so far as known, has been $500.
A good many have brought 800,
while large numbers have been sold
for from 80 to $50. The largest dia-
mond ever found IN this country was
found by laborer at Manchester, Va.
about the middle of the century. 1t
was not recognized, and was put into
an iron furnace at Richmond, where
it remained in q red heat for two hours
and twenty minutes, being taken out
unimpaired and brighter than before.
When recognized it was valued at 81
000 It was cut at an expense of 1, 500,
reducing it's weight from 24& carats to
II 11-16 carats. At one time $1,000
was loaned on it. It is of-dolored
and imperfect and is not worth more
than $500 to $500 now.
Very fine saphlres have been found
in North Carolina. One was the trans
parent part of a corundum crystal,
four by two by one and one-half in
ches. It would probably furnish gems
TO the amount of one hundred carats,
and, being very rare, its value is over
$1,000.
Fine specimens of chrysokeryl and
spinel have been found in various
localities in New England, New York
and the southern states.
The best crystals of topaz have come
from the Platte mountains in Color
ado. One weighs 125 carats and is as
fine a gem rs America has ever pro-
duced.
Emerelds, beryls. and some of the
less commonly known minerals have
been found in small quantities, bat
have not proven of mUcA importance
as gems.
America has produced garnets com
parable with the best products of
Africa and eastern Europe and Asio.
Though smaller than those found in
the diamond mines of the Cape of
Good Hope, the garnets of the Color
ado river plateau are unsurpassed In
clearness and their clear blood color.
As mineral they are found all over
the United States where the Older
Concentrations are exposed, but only
occasionally transparent enough tc
rank IS gems
Ia transparent quartz particularly
fine crystals have been found in New
York, and the purple variety the well
known amethyst, is quite common in
New England.
Smoky quartz quartz crystals with
duld cavities containing bubbles green
feldspar (known as Amazon stone) are
all classed as gems, and are more or
less common.
1t appears from the report that Cali,
fornia is the banner diamond-produc-
ing state, ane new discoveries in the
future may tie expected to increase the
production considerably. Last year
the Golden state produced $28, CSC
worth of gems proper, while there
was imported from abroad 50, 600, OOO
worth of diamonds and other precious
stones.
Kissing and Advertising.