Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-10
MANY GEMS FOUND IN THE SOUTH.
Rare and Valuable Specimens from
Four states.
philadelphia Times)

DEFINING. y. g., August l9.-Experts
in rniueralogy have long considered some
parts Of the South a most inviting field.
Gem dealers. especially cutters, are cog
infant of the fact that many Of The best
gems now cut in this country come rom
Southern localities. Take the States OF
I,irginis North Carolina, South Carolina,
and Georgia. and about every known gem
has heen found In one or the other or
them. II is not many years ago that
diamond was found while digging a eel
lar in Manchester. Va, opposite Ken
mond. weighing - or y carats. Altct
heinz cut il made one Of the hnest gems
tbat has been sold in the American mar
ket Diamonds nave also been found III
North Carolina and GcOrgla-l"ehty 90
thirty at one mine about sixteen uiiit9
north Of Atlanta. \ diamond Wesihn1
about carats was found seVettI year
90, o,,l,- a short distance from this place,
and it is pronounced one OF 'ne "lieS ~ -
tho world IL has not been cut as YET
ovirq 10 its high value by reason OF De
ing a dodecahedron and possessing uh-
,,g7,aI brllliancy as an uncut stone.
Several large dealers in gems OBTAIN
-, ~, treir supDly 81 ruhies from West
srn North Carolina mines. ! nave ehhh
,,a1 some OF them with the minutesl
- and I agree with others VINO pro
,o,,nce of these rubies the equal oil 'He
Burmah. , a., yvee.srn
North Carolina and Northern Ee'lsia
yyith now and then the report OF ~
bains found In North AlaDdihd' VI 'e', -,
a,nathvsts-from the same FAMILY az the
-, ora found In Western North caro-
49, irs' ard some beautiful Oriental stones
have been found in EasteFh'Nrs'"i' ""u
Central North Carolina.
.rhe oriental topaz-also from the same
.,n,ily-is fouud now and then n the
Sta,as mentioned. but the most leautful
80 country produces come from Colora-
~ ord Idaho. Sapphires are fourd In
,be FAR West also, but l have yet 10 sec
- I'm vest of the Mississippi that can
be pronounced perfect ,-,.
~ biddenite. first mined in ! Alexandra
-, y C. has been found also IN
p,,rke and Mcdowell counties. the same
So and 1 should not be surprised 20
learn Of its being mined n the extreme
northwest Of South Carolina ana North-
srn Georgia. Such is the demand ,or ttls
Gem that it IS now commanding h'gher
crice than diamonds or rubiss' ana II
baa been found impossible TO supply Ire
market. 49,. -.
In fhg States TtAfiiff ~ 800 $500
f,,pd gems of other species, and very
- VERY sunerior emeralds are found
.iaxondria and Mcdowell counties,
~ Caroiina. and recently ] have seen
-, f,ir t,Irquols from Mitchell county
a. NcDowel, and Burke counties tourma-
- -" - found. of three coiOrs. pink.
i - and black. the latter opaque. And
DID, also abounds in these counties.
The garnets OF Burke ana AcDo"eil
Counties are a deep velYety red ana are
tho hardest garnets found IN the United
ctates running as high as I IL TO IL
verv beautiful gem Is found in Burke
ard Mcdowell counties In quantity,
llnown as the "Venice-hair crystal" The
Venice-hairs are fine threads or crystal
i,zad rutile. sometimes running ID parallel
lines sometimes crossing each other, and
occaslonaliy so numerous as To number
100 IN a square inch. When the rock
crystal is perfectly clear and the rutiie
threads perfect the stones Tor ornamen-
tai use are I'm such great demand that
they are seldom seen In Jewelry out
side of the largest and weaithiest cities.
Rock crystal il found hereabouts with
inchsIons Of asbestos. actlnoiite. pro-
chlorite ochre-yellow and crimson-pyro-
lusite tourmaline threads. and occasion
ally gems OF various species. Sometimes
these minerals are Included in the rock
crystal in such manner as TO command
the highest price in the market. I re-
Gently saw stone with rare inclusions,
cut for mounting. valued at 5000. 1t
will be exhibited at Atlanta In the col
lection OF the Southern Railroad Com
pany. and Is from the mines Of the Ma
rlon Improvement Company.
Much attention Is now being given In
this section OF North Carolina to the
mining Of corundum. mica. zircon. and
monazlte Perhaps the most interesting
mineral OF the number named 10 mona
zits, which enters into the manufacture
Of the we.sbach light in the United States
and other similar lights In Europe. At