The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1895-09-12
GEMS o. AMERICA.
Aiming fer P-ocica5 Ctoaca n
Til CC:.-It1rv.
pi---,onds, E-;cra.;.s. Q. .,alt eai Sappa.ros
Among tn" Nu,nbcr-N-hcrc ami How
Ticy Are ound--.l Growing
In,lust--.

Di"-aonds, E:.:cEl,;.s. q .>alI and Sappt,ros
Among thu Nurnbcr-N:hcre ami How
They Are ound--.l Growing
Industry.
! Although nearly all known vari-
cites of precious stones are found in
thc' United States. there has until
recently been little ofIcrt shade 10
search fcr tacr2 on an extensive and
systematic scale, The indications u.s.
sally not promising sufficient re-
turn for any great outlay Of capital.
Ent there ha; lately been an advance
il this direction, for whereas, in
1852 mining for gems was carried on
pnl. in two states, there were
mined during the last year the fol-
jcwing precious stones: Tourma-
line in Maine, cneralds in North
Carolina, turquoise in New Mexico,
sapphircs ia sIontana, and opals in
Washington. Idaho and Oregon. Dia-
fnonds arc found scattered OYER the
country, but up tG date never in
commercially rayinG quantities.
The Two chief diamond belts are
along the southern hasc of the Ale
ghanics froEl Virginia to Georgia,
and along the Western base of the
Cascade and Sierra Malrc noun
taiEs in northcrn California. There
have also been paconfrmcd reports
Of scattered gcms foand in other To-
caliiics, and within year or two
considerable excitement was aroused
hy the reported occurrence in GEN.
,tral Kentucky closely resembling
the diamond boaring Garth of the
African mines. But it was after
ward found there were important
differences Ectwccn the deposit and
the Kimberley clay, he most vital
of WHICH was that the kentucky
strip bore no diamonds.
Sapphire is found chiefly among
the crystalline pocks along the base
of the Appalachian mountains, from
Chester, Mass, to southern Georgia.
The largest corundum crystal ever
found, which was five times larger
than any other known crystal, is
now in the collection Of Amherst
college. 1t suffered somewhat in
the disastrous fire Of 1892. Tur-
luoisc is one of the most important
gem products of the country. 1t is
found in several localities in New
Mexico, Nevada and Arizona. Some
/; also obtained in Fresno county,
Cal. During the last two years tur-
huoisc has been actively mincd for
in New Mexico, rcopcning some of /
,hc mines originally worked by the
Indians, and they have found ,ur-
auoisc equal in color to the finest
Persian material. Stones have been
found in these localities weighing
up to sixty karats, one&fswhich was
soldfot about$l, 900, and IS now pos
sibly for the first time in the last
half century to match perfect tur-
luoiSc necklace.
Turquoise has always been known
as an unstable gem. Even the
finest Persian stones arc liable to
change occasionally with scarcely
any warning, the alteration prooa-
lily being due TO the turquoise COM
ing in contact with acid cxhalations
from the skin or with fatty acids or
alkalis in soap, although wcarcrs of
l&urquoiso arc especially warned to
rcmovc the rings while washing
4hcir hands. The sale of American
lturquoisc during the ycar 1891 prob
ably exceeded 100000, and for 1892
S175 Geo, and o greater amount for
1888.
Carnots arc also found throughout
nearly the same region as the tur-
puoisc. One of their pcculiaritics is
that the most of them are ready
mined for the prospcctors, who find
ibcm dug out around the ant hills
and scorpion holes. They arc col
iectcd by the Indians and soldiers
and sold to the Indian traders.
Some of the exceptionally fine ones
have brought $50 or 500, though
the onc-karat stones seldom bring
over s.. The garnet output from
this region amounts to about $1,000
in cut stones annually. Opals and
amcthysts are the two other pre-
cious stones Of the greatest impor-
tancc in this country. In the new
opal beds of Oregon $40, 600 worth
,pf the gems were obtained ip 1892.
Washington Post.