The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-03-27
The Fancy For Semi-PrecIous Stones In
ereasing GTeaiiy In the United States.
SPlEEl THE MOST VALUABLE MINERAL,
The Queen OF Burma wore Not Re"
Jewel, But Was satisfied nnd con-
tented With n Fine Ruby Spi"ei-
Hue and Green Varieties OF the
Topnx-Garnett Sought After.


precious stones has increased greatly
in America since the Centennial EXPO.
4 sition OF 1876. Formerly jewelers. sou
only diamonds. ruOies. sapphiros. emer-
aids, opals, pearls, Sarneis. ana aSates.
but now il IS not unusual for the miner
illogical gems such as Zircon. star sap
phire star ruby, tourmaline, spinel or II
tantte to be called for, not only by
collectors. but by the public. whose taste
has advanced as much in the matter
of precious stones as 1t has in art
Spnel is the most valuable OF the |
semi precious stones, and Is one of the |
few minerals that are ornamental ana |
beautiful enough for gems in their nat
ural state. No other stone has so wide |
range of color. and each color In
turn is represented by many distinct |
shades. The fame-red and crimson
stones have been mistaken and sold for
rubies. but although the hue may be vi
vid yet II lacks the richness of the ruby.
The orange red spinels are called rubi-
celle. the pink ones balas ruby. and a
Charming variety of blues, bite greens,
inky-blues. puppies and vtolets. tcrmina-
ting in the black sp.nel, called pleonaste.
give this stone range OF color almost
uneQualied
One would little expect to find the
jewels of the Queen of the Ruby Mines
any other than true rubirs: but the ENG
lish officer who, in 1856, took the hair
PIN from the private chamber of Soup
Y-La. the Queen of Burma. in the Iail-
ace at Mandclay, was surprised u find
that the red jewel in it was not a true
ruby. but a fine ruby spincl.
Hcryl is one of the most lustrous and
brilliant of gems and occurs IN 4 variety
OF slades OF yellow, golden yellow. y,l-
low brown. brown. green. sage and
grass green. Apuamarinc, so-called.
comprises the white. light green, ilrn:
blue and yellow green beryls. so-cnlled
- roc ,l,lr 10. -
sea water. The yellow ones have lccn
called golden beryla All these rarie-
ties are often exceedingly beautiful anu
brilliant The finest aQuamariucs arc
found III Russia. Brazil, Ceylon, Maine
New Hampshire. Connecticut an(
Mount Antero, Col; ut the latter local
ity at an elevation OF li.ooo feet. almos
on the line of perpetual snow.
Ihe large aquamarinc now at III,
< Field Columbian Museum, In Chica 20
the finest ever found in the Onto
States. is from Stoncham. Me. 1t i
II brtlliant-cut ana weighs l2SA, ca.ats
The color IL light BLUSH green. and
IS with the exception of II few hair lis
z internal striations. II is perfectly ,lcrl
y One OF the finest known bcryls ls = 81
2i perb bluc-Greeu crystal found III III
& Urals in 1926. weighing six pounds an
valued ut S93.00O. 1t Is now ut H.
School Of Mines in st. Petersburg. 81,
ers worthy special attention are the on
in the sword hilt OF Prince Aiurai. sol
in the Hope collection. and the frog q
sea-bluc auuamarine on II jade !caI
shown al the Paris exposition of lS7!
and now in the James Garland colicc
ton IN New York city.
The name topaz generally suggest
only yellow stone, yet there are ligh
blue and green varieties which hav
frequently been sold as aquamarinc
though the topaaes are heavier tina
aquamarines. and l have frequently de
tected the difference without openin
the paper containing them. Topaz nd
mits OF very high polish and is yer
slippery 10 the touch. Strange Ia say
the yellow topaz when slightly heatc,
becomes pink: heated further. the pin
grows paler, and by long heating is er
trely expelled. leaving the gem colo.
less. The shcrrycolored or brown tc
paz Is bleached in very short time h
the rays of the sun. or strong daylight
and all the white topazes found in ia
ture nave been decolorized in this wa,
The topaz is found in granite rocks. i
Siberia, Japan, Peru, Ceylon, Austyali;
Brazil and Maine. and in volcanic rock
In Colorado Utah. and New Mexico.
one of the most beautiful of all gem.
and one not known two decades az,
Is the green garnet called demantoid G
"Uralian emerald" or "Bobrowska ca,
net" found at Poldnewaja. near Sv,
serk, in the Government OF Orenbcr,
Russ!a. II varies from yellow!sh gre.
10 an intense emerald color, and I'm
such power Of refracting ligh, ,hnf"
SHOWS a distinct fire like the Ii1mnn
or zircon, and in the evening has alrnn.
inc appearance OF n green diamond
Tyrope' or bohemian garnet, has he,
long and extensively sought and work
In the region near Meronitz, BohaIni;
where 1t Is gathered from surface 4.
posts and conglomerate rocks. con,ip
from decomposed peridotitp. ri
gathering and cutting form a great II
duStry in that country. Pyropc occ,,
under similar conditions in the damon,
bearing rocks of South Africa, and ais
In Arizona and New Mexico: and frol
both these regions gems of rich col,
are obtained and sold under the nan
of Cape rubies and Arizona rubics. Z :
African stones are large: than L..
American. and perhaps equal to them
color by daylight, but the latter ~
much richer by artificial light OIL
the clear blood-red color then renal,
visible; while the Cape rubics retain
dark tint inclining to brown Abo,
$4,000 worth of cut stones from Ar
IONA are sold annually, and some l.,
culiarly fine ones have brought fro
$50 20 $500 each.
The turquoises OF commerce are fro
these localities. Nishapur. Persia. II
Desert OF Sinai egyptian turquoise
and several localities in New Mexic
Those from Persia are OF a softer bl,