Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1888-07-07
eEAUT,rul opALs.


The Seven variettss roonA - Do4ngOoo
rarfs es Mexisos rsee
Newspaper readers are .occasionally
regaled with sensational reports ~.
gartling the shipment Of iii kinds q
precious stones from Mexico. They sre
alleged to be veritable Kohinoors IN
value and arc described a. the accumu-
lations Of some adventurous spirits
fleeing from the land Of .t3od and
liberty It 10 . fact, however. that
though many precious and semi-
precious stones are to be found In tho
mount aims Of Old Mexico. the opal y
the only stone Of value which 10 found
| In quantities. The object OF this Arti-
Gle Is to give . few details regarding
this subject, based upon gcvernment
reports, and It would be well to nots u
the outset that the mining laws Of
Mexico arc exceptionally wise and that
her geologists are EXPERTS
The opal is the only gem that has
been discovered in the Republic In suf-
Hcient quantities TO make it, sxpl0ita-
ton worthy Of the Investment Of capi-
; tai. Being the only precious stone
, that can not be successfully initiated.
> its value 10 standard.
:. The Mexican opals are highly appre-
ciatcd, not only on this side OF the At
lantic. but also in Europe, to which
/; they have been exported in large
quantities.
Seven varieties Of Mexican opals have
. been distinguished from each Other.
], They are the fine, the common, the
tialf. the xilopalo. the Jasper. the opal
MALTA and the opal menilia. The COM
mon opals are found In Zamapan, near
= the Sanctuary Of Guadaloupe HidAlgo. !
~ There is also the fro epal, which is
variety Of the common. It Is Of red
hyacinth, or Of white, red and blue
color.
y; In the ravine Of Tepegala, which
% runs on one side Of the mountain Of
a Las Navajos. in the District Of Mineral
del Monte. are found fine opals In =
p conglomerate composed principally o.
q trachytic porphyry. This bed was ds-
IN covered In 1851. The porphyry forma-
HI; ton in which opals are found is OF .
reddish gray color. varying to lighter
rn in some localities.
The most noted opal beds in Mexico
are those on the estate Of La Esperanza,
'' situated about thirty miles northwest
- Of the city OF San Juan del Rio. State of
@ l,cretaro. They were discovered In
d; 1855 by Don Jose M. Snrob, resident
G. Of Qucretaro. In 1870 he opened the
Or first shop in the mountain of Ceja dc
yer Leon, and named it the "Mine Of Santa
~ Maria iris"
a The noble opals found at Esperanza
n yer are 'dstinguishable for tho intensity
M m' and extent Of their reflex. Some 0i
~ them when viewed from different sides
20 presented only one reflex. which pro
en longed itself without any interruption
W. In others the first brilliant view wa
" substituted by more. isolated or ming
ling with the first color seen. forming
C.. A beautiful combination which could b.
&C. likened only to the colors OF we'll de
fined rainbow.
25 The opal called Harlequin is note'
so; for the density and smallness Of its col
orcd points. constituting in effect q
q. exquisite mosaic Of small size. ANON
,e the different colors presented by tn
L. opals found at the Santa Maria irl
Mine are the violet. blue and the milky
n .na with green and red reflex.
On the estate Of Ell Artillero, In II
State of Michoacan. rich beds OF opal
~ have been known as the mines OF l
Concorda, FL Refugio. Jesus MARI
den San Miguel. Guadaloupe, FL Rosario
ted, san Inse aud San Nicolas Fine ops
ana have also been found on the estate
ives Salada, north of the city OF San Lu
Potosi, in the State of that name.
Diamonds have been found In Il
Sierra Madra Mountains Of Southel
to . Mexico, near Tetela del Rio. In Il
hcr- shape Of beads. with amethyst and roc
bout crystal. Breaking these stones Il
,nly diamonds In the shape of octahedrol
were discovered, similar to those foul
thu in tho Indies and in Brazil. The weig
yew of several was eighteen karats gross
Of Topaxes and sapphires are found
lans nearly all the States OF Mexico. VIII
f;ve the ruby is found in the State OF y
rnngo and in the placers OF Lower q
- ifornia.
was Emeralds and beryls are found
bers Tejupilco, in Hidalgo and In Sier
'om- Gorda, State Of Guanajuato.
lead Agates. onyx and jasper abound
,rld. such profusion that they are not claim
as precious stones.
= :. In conclusion it may be said that t
~ . descendants of the Montezumas ha
nlnA made no greater discoveries. either
ause precious stones or in gold and silv'
their Than the miner, OF centuries ago, :
hild- 1t Is a matter Of record in the archi,
Of the Republic that among the precte
81. stones seized by Cortez WAS an emera
the rs large As the palm Of hand. :
..a. - probably the largest In the world
lated "eDe'e'' 'y-
IL 70 RanAhae and l0H0mofiNn.