The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-02-04
Or. Prices Cream Baking Powdef
Worlds Fair Highest Award.
AMERICAN GEMS.
Precious Stones Have Reen Found in
Virginia and Else where.
[F'rom the PhiladeIphia Times.l


[F'rom the Philadelphia Times.J
One of the leading dealers in pre-
cious stones who is interested in the
present movement to develop the in
dustry of mining for American gems,
consented to give the following facts
out in an interviews:
Americans, as a, rule, are very fond
of precious stones and I should say
that there are more in this country
according to the population than any
where in the world. The Importation
Iof diamonds, rubies, sapphires and
other gems has consequently been a
very lucrative business for many
years. The value of these stones in
the country today, mostly imported,
should roughly estimate to be not less
than $50000O,000. We haze so long de-
pended upon other countries to supply
us with precious minerals that little
attention has been given to the home
mines. Then miners here have been
wrapped up in their explorations for
gold, silver. iron coal, oil and such
products that they have not had time
TO think of other things. But the prom
Use of future shortening of the sup
ply Of all the leading gems has made
dealers look around for other sources.
another thing that attracted our
attention was the wonderful supply of
rare minerals found in the Appalach-
fan system of mountains. Not only
gold, but genuine sapphires and scores
of other stones have been found in
those mountains. At the Corundum
Hill over one hundred beautiful sap
pllireS have been discovered accident
ally while mining for other products.
These stones have sold from $50 to 500
and upward. In the same state, in
Alexandria county, beautiful speci-
mems of the emerald have been found,
both the aqua-marine and the yellow
beryl. There are now several emerald
and l1iddenfte mines worked in that
chiefly to supply institutions with
rough specimens. Nevertheless, from
ten to twenty thousand dollars worth
of these stones have been sold from
these mines in the past few years.
Splendid garnets, and a few diamonds,
have also been excavated in these
North Carolina mineral fields, and
after an exhaustive examination Of
the ground the conclusion has been
reached that. before long, startling
disclosures of precious stones Will be
made in the Appalachian mountains,
! We may yet have a South African
diamond field right at our door.
"Other parts of the south have also
been found to contain precious stones.
| True beryls and garnets of consider
able value have been located in Vir-
ginia, and there are several we'll de-
fined districts where small specimens
| of diamonds have been found in Geor-
gia. The rich iron and coal fields OF
Alabama and Tennessee promise reve-
lations in this respect. although iron
and coal kings are 50 intent upon their
work in those regions that they would
be apt to stumble over diamonds and
! rubies if they saw a chunk Of coal OF
iron ahead of them.
I'm the west and southwest the min
eral fields are even more extensive
California diamond mines are the
largest and so far the richest in this
country. Some fine specimens have
been brought to us to cut and others
are constantly being brought in by
prospectors and mine owners to test
Many stories have been circulated
about diamond fields and mines in
| California, and adventures have gone
there expecting to pick them up as
they did gold forty years ago. Thei1
disappointment spread counter reports
and most people concluded that Ola
monds in California We're fictitious
The fact is that mining for diamonds
must be conducted on scientific prin,
cipies and with plenty of capital We
do not expect to find diamonds lying
| around loose waiting to be picked up
Even in the richest diamond fields Of
South Africa they have to work HARD
for the precious stones. More recently
| diamonds have been found In Wiscon-
sin Around Lake Superior. also. the
finest specimens OF chlorastroiite
thomsonite and agates have beer
picked up on the beaches. Evidently
the action of the water has Worn their
from the rocks. Colorado is another
well-defne1 region. for precious stone
hunting