Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-02-05
PRECIOUS STONES.
Enormous Capital is Invested in
Their Production.
Little Mining for Gems in the
United States.

From the customs import list, aftcl
deducting the approximate value Of
cut stones, other than diamonds, we
find, says George T. Kunz in tho En-
gineering and Mining Journal, thai
import duty was paid on about $500.
600, 600 worth of cut diamonds in the
last "a years, of which 100000, 00C
worth were imported during the last
u years. In 1868 1000, 900 worth
were imported aud about 81, 200, 00C
in 1867, but about sl1, 900, 900 worth
in 1888, and in 1889, about SIS, 00O,-
600, or 10 to 70 times as MANY as 90
years previous, showing the increase
of wealth and the great popularity of
the diamond among Americans, the
previous figures representing the i'm.
port prices, exclusive of mounting or
dealers profits, and no account taken
of those Snug led.
The probable value of all the dia-
monds in the world is estimated at
over one billion dollars. The entire
diamond trade is carried on by 5000
dealers, with total stock of not far
from $3.50, 900, 900. These stones are
prepared for market by perhaps 1900
cutters and polishers, principally in
Amsterdam, Antwerp, Paris, the Jura
Mountains and the United States. A
limited amount of cutting is also done
in England. About 200 men cut dia-
monds in the United States. The
diamond-cutting industry is develop
ing rapidly in this country. In New
York there are sixteen firms engaged
in cutting and recruiting diamonds,
and in Massachusetts there arc three.
Cutting has also been carried on at
times in Pennsylvania aud Ilinei..
bgt has been discontinued.
Forty million carats of diamonds.
weighing over nine tons, have been
found in South Africa. In the rough
diamond yield Of The s2Ss9 s &C.,
the past two centuries. World
production perhaps per cent SMfe9 1 u
first water, IL per cent. of the second,
and 25 per cent. of tho third, while
the remaining As per cent. is known as
bort.
Up to the present time there has
been very little miling for precious
stones in the United States, and this
only at Irregular intervals. II has
been carried on during the past few
years at Paris, Me. near Los Ger
rillos, N. M. in Alexander county,
N. c., from 1881 until 1888, and OH
the Missouri river, near Helena, Mont,
since the beginning of 1890 True
beryls and garnets have been found
frequently as Il by-product in the min
ing of mica, especially in Virginia
and North Carolina. A very limited
number of diamonds have been found
in The United States. They are met
with in well-defined districts of
California, North Carolina, Georgia,
and recently in Wisconsin, but up
to the present time the discoveries
have been rare and purely accidental.
AS to sapphircs, none OF the fine blue
color have been found. The same fact
is true of ruoies of fine red color.
The only locality which has been at all
prolific is the placer ground between
Ruby and Eldorado bars, on the Mis-
souri, river, 16 miles cast of Helena,
Mon. Here sapphires are found in
glacial auriforous gravels while sluic-
ing for gold, and until now have been
considered only a by-product. The
colors of the gems obtained, although
beautiful aud interesting, are not the
standard blue or red SHADES popular
with the public. The emerald has
been mined to some extent Il Stony
Point, in Alexander county, N. G.,
and has also been obtained at two
other places in the country. T6r-
quoise, which was worked by the Az
tees before the advent of the Spaniards,
and since then by the Pueblo Indians,
and largely use by them for orna-
ment and as an article of exchange, is
now Systematically mined near Los
| Cerillos, N. NJ.