Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-06-01
AMERICAN GEMS.
MANY PRECIOUS STONES FOUND
IN THIS COUNTRY.
Mines Recently Opened-DiggIng for
EIneraids and Turquoises In Va.
rious Localities-Ken-
lucky Garnets.
n EARLY all the known vario

ing FOR precious stones was carried on
i'll two States. In 1898 the industry
had widened to embrace the mining of
tourmaline in Maine, emeralds in
North Carolinn, turquoises in New
Mexico, sapphires in Montana and
opals in Washington, Idaho and Ore
gon. Otherwise gems are found acci-
dentally in connection with other sub
stances that are being nined. They
nrc often gathered on the surface, ms is
tho case with garnet and Divine in
Arizona and New Mexico; or in sluic-
ing FOR gold, rs with the snpphires of
Montana; or in connection with mica
mining, MS the bcryl of Connecticut
and North Carolina.
Diamonds, whenever found in the
United States, have always been come
upon by accident. All the gems of
this variety thus far discovered here
would not fill the bottom of coffee
cup, and their. aggregate value would
not he more than $4,000. Two Of the
largest diamonds found in the United
States are i'll this city, one from Ore
gon, Wis, which weighs 3, carats, tho
other from North Carolina.
Some of tho American precious
stones are of fine quality, the tourma-
line OF Maine, for instance.
Mnny diamonds have been found in
cidentally to the search for gold in
California. They occur there not I'M
commonly IN the auriferous grnvels.
Doubtless many thousands of them
have been destroyed unintentionally
i'll the stamp mills. These gems have
often been picked from the sluices
and fumes. The first discovery of
diamonds in that State goes back to
the early gold seeking days of 1850.
AS fnr back MS 1854 attention was
called 10 the similarity of the Califor-
mia gravels to tho diamond. bearing
grnvcls of Brazil. A few small stones
have been picked up in Idaho, in
placer diggings, but the excitement
awakened by them has been followed
10y no substantial results A small
diamond field has lntcly been found in
Pierce County, Wis. 1t has yielded
one gem weighing three-fourths of n
carnt, rs well rs many little ones.
Mining for sapphires was begun in
1870 Mt Franklin, N. G. Quite num-
bcr OF fine stones weighing over ono
cnrat each, true blue and violet bluc.
were taken out, ms well MS several ex-
ceilent rubies. The work was STONED
by the panic of 1873, but has been
resumed recently. In Montana these
stones are found along the Missouri
River on several bars, the richness of
which has given them the names of
Emerald bar, French bar, Eldorsdo
bar and Ruby bar. These bars were
worked for gold many Yeas ago, but
the gem material wns not sought to
any extent, because of the cost of cut
ting chiefly. Two years ago these
bars were bought up by an English
company calling itself the Ruby and
Sapphire Mining Company, which has
since obtained large number of
stones. Some of them have been cut
and exhibited i'll London.
Tho turquoise mines of Mexico,
worked ancicntly by the Indians of
that region, are now operated scien-
tltically by two companies and arc
yielding material equal to the finest
Persian turquoise. 1t retains its color
quite MS well, not changing within II
short time, rs does the Egyptian tur-
quoise. Stones have been found
weighing up to sixty carats ench, one
of which was sold for $4,000. 1t is
now possible for the first time in the
last fifty years to match perfect tur-
quoisc necklace.
Topaz occurs in many of the
States. The most brilliant and beanti-
fnl crystals are from Thomas Noun
tnin, Utnh-an isolated and arid ele-
walton about six miles long. These
nre always white, NIL color having
been removed from them by exposure
to sunlight. They nre also very
brilliant. At DEVILS Head Mountain.
thirty miles north OF Pixies Peak.
topaz is found i'll loose crystals among
smoky quartz. 1t is mostly cherry
color, though some of the crystals are
wine yellow and milky blue. From
this locality about $4,000 worth of this
KIND of precious stone has been OBJ
tanned and sold. Among the crystals
secured were two cherry -colored gems
weighing 125 and 1913 carats.
Many beautiful crystals of emerald
have been found at Stony Point, N. G.
They are dug out of pockets in the
rock Mt n considerable distance be-
meath the surface of the ground. The
output of that locality mp to date has
amounted to about SIS, 600. No gem
obtained has been sold for over 500.
but some of the crystals secured have
measured as much as eight inches in
length and have weighed ten ounces.
The emerald, of course, is u kind of
beryl. Crystals of beryl weighing up
to 1900 pounds have been dug up in
New Hampshire. They were value
less as gems. AT mica mine near
Litchfield, Conn, about SIT, 900 worth
beryls have been obtained and sold
during the last seven years, being cut
into green, white and yellow gems.
The last are termed golden beryls. -
Precious garnets are found in New
Mexico, Arizona, Southern Colorado
and Utah. They are often miscalled
Hrubies - On tho Navajo. paen.,,a