The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-04-12
BEAUTIFUL OPALS:
Tho Seven Varieties Found in Different
Parts Of Mexico.

l huO GcSOu vhFtGtteS FOuHu DsncEou'
Parts Of Mexico.
Newspaper readers are occasionally
RECALLED with sensational reports re
garding the shipment Of all kinds d
precious stones from Mexico. They ar
alleged TO be ycritablc kohinoors IN
valu. and arc described as the accumu.
laiions Of some adventurous spirii'
| fleeing from the land Of .'tiod ans
liberty" 1t is fact. however, that
though many precious and semi
precious stones are to he found in the
mountains Of Old Mexico, the opal !.
the only stone of value which is found
in quantities. The object Of this arti.
Gle is to give few details regarding
this subject. based upon government
reports. and it would be we'll 10 note al
the outset that the mining laws Of
Mexico arc exceptionally wise and that
her biologists arc experts.
| The opal is the only gem that has
been discovered i'll the Republic in snf-
iicient quantities to make its eNploita-
lion worthy Of the investment Of capt
tai. Being the only precious stone
that can not be successfully initiated.
its value is standard.
The Mexican opals are highly appre-
riated, not only on this side Of the At
Iantic, but also in Europe. TO which
they have been exported in large
quantities.
Seven varieties of Mexican opals hav 9
been distinguished from each other.
They are the fine, the common, the
tialf. the xilopalo, the jasper, the opal
MALTA and the opal menil;i. The COM
mon opals are found in Zamapan, near
the Sanctuary Of Guadaloupc Hidalgo.
There is also the fire opal. which is a
variety of the common. 1t is of red
hyacinth, or Of white, red and blue
color.
In the ravine of Tcpegala, which
runs on one side of the mountain of
Las Navajos, in the District Of Mineral
del Monte. are found fine opals in a
conglomerate composed principally of
trachyt;c porphyry. This bed was dis
covered in 1851. The porphyry forma-
ton in which opals are found is Of a
reddish gray color, varying to lighter
in some localities.
The most noted opal beds in Mexico
are those on the estate Of I.a Esperanza,
situated about thirty miles northwest
Of the city of San Juan del Rio. State Of
Qncrctaro. They were discovered in
1855 by Don Jose NJ. Sinrob, resident
of Queretaro. In 1870 he opened the
first shop in the mountain Of Ceja de
Leon, and named it the mine of Santa
Maria Iris.
The noble opals found ut Esperanto
are distinguishable for the intensity
and extent Of their reflex. Some Of
them when viewed from different sides
presented only one reflex. which pro-
longcd itself without any interruption.
In others the first brilliant view was
substituted by more, isolated or ming
ling with the first color seen, forming
beautiful combination which could be
likened only to the colors Of a well de-
fined rainbow.
The opal called Harlequin is noted
for the density and smallness Of its col
orcd points. constituting in effect All
exquisite mosaic of small size. Among
the different colors presented by the
opals found at the Santa Maria Iris
Mine are the violet. blue and the milky.
with green and red reflex.
On the estate of FL Artillero. in the
State of Michoacan. rich beds Of opals
have been known as the mines of La
Concordia. FL Refugio. Jesus Maria.
San Miguel. Guadalonpe, Fl Rosario,
San Jose and San Nicolas. Fine opals
have also been found Oh the estate Of
Salada. north of the city of San Luis
Potosi, in the State of that name.
Diamonds have been found in the
Sierra Madra Mountains Of Southern
Mexico, near Tetela del Rio. in the
shape Of beads. with amethyst and rock
crystal. Breaking these stones the
diamonds in the shape of octahedrons
were discovered. similar to those found
in the Indies and in Brazil The weigh
VI scACIdi was cIoh1CCn ndi11s eiUsS.
Topazes and sapphires are found in
nearly all the States of Mexico, while
the ruby is found in the State Of Du
range and in the placers Of Lower Cal
| ifOrnia.
Emeralds and ..beryls are found in
Tcjupilco. in Hidalyo and in Sierra
Gorda, State of Guanajuato.
Agates. onyx and jasper abound il
such profusion that they are not claimed
as precious stones.
In conclusion it may be said that thu
descendants of the Montezumas hav,
made no greater discoveries, either il
precious stones or in gold and silver
than the miners of centuries ago, ant
it is matter of record in the archive
Of the Republic that among the preciou
stones seized by Cortcz was an emcral.
as large as the palm Of hand, an.
probably the largest in the world
JeWclers' Weekly.