The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-05-30
WE ARE RICH IN GEMS
Every Kind But One Is Pound In
the United States.
THE Country Ian Nevee Teken To
Proper Place Among the No
lions That Produce Pro-
csous stones.

The United States have never taken
their proper place among the gem-pro-
ducing countries, principally, it would
appear, because of the superior gains
offered In the metal mines, says the
Brooklyn Eagle Patient and skillful
working of the gem mines, however,
would appear TO promise os well as
many of the metal industries There
are in Montana sapphiree of beauty
and value. True, they are light in
color, but they have more brilllancy
than the Asian sapphires, and often
exhibit dichroism, or double color, un
der different lights The superstition
that a sapphire should be dark blue
is possibly responsible for the slow
ness of their acceptance in the mar
ket, but, as matter of fact, sapphires
are not Of necessity blue; they are
green, yellow, purple, white, and when
they are red we coll them rubies, for
the ruby and sapphire are identically
the same, save for a fraction of per
cent. of the coloring matter.
Every gem known TO the lapidary
has been found within our borders,
except that form of chrysoberyl
known as alexandria, stone most
commonly found in the Urals, and
showing green by day and red by arti-
fetal light We have also found but
few of the cari-colored garnets OF
which Russia furnishes such remark
able and beautiful examples, and none
have their brilliancy, though the red
garnets of Arizona and contiguous
territory are unsurpassed in richness.
We have several gems, moreover, that
are almost peculiar to this country,
and that should be used more eKten-
sively because OF their Intrinsic
beauty. Such are the golden beryls
of Connecticut, that are Of brilliant
yellow, full of light and sparkle, and
the curious chlorastrolites and thom-
sonites of Lake Superior, that are use.
full as green or notified grounds in the
making Of designs.
Among the lesser known but inter
esting and often beautiful minerals
that are found in this country and
that lend themselves to purposes of
ornament are the grassgreen hidden
lite, the superior of emerald in vi
vacity; the duller green diopside, the
utahite, which is q rival of turquoise,
if it can be made to keep it's color and
texture, the zircon, of red and brown,
and especially the tourmaline, which
presents a wide range of color, from
! jet black to almost water white, and
including pink, brown, blue and al
most every shade of green. These
tourmalines are more appreciated
abroad than they are at home, and
whereas we buy sapphires and rubies
from Burmah, and diamonds from
Africa, and topazes from Japan and
| Brazil, and turQuoises from Persia, we
remain seemingly Indifferent to the
| gems that come from Maine and Con-
necticut. Collectors have known them
for years, however, and have priced
them at their value. Many Of the
crystals show two and even three
colors, being red at one end and green
at the other, or green without and
deep pink within. OF these tourma-
lines $4,000 worth were mined last
year at Mount Mica, Me.
Turquoise has been known to the
Indians of the southwest for cen
turtles, and there is good reason to bs-
lieve that 1t was mined by the Aztecs
Brooklyn capital has been invested in
one of the New Mexico mines, and II
Is said that n superior quality has
been produced. There is probably nc
ornamental stone that is so extensive
ly initiated Hundreds of people are
wearing what they suppose to be tur,
quoise, but is in reality glass or enam
ell or a composition that closely copies
its color and apparent texture, and
does not fade as the stone itself Is apt
to do. There has been an addition tc
the semiprecious stones of q new va
riety of garnet known as rhodolite, OF
a pale rose red, but not many speci
mems have been brought to the cities
and it has not appeared to any extent
in jewelry. IT would seem to be worth
our while to work our gem deposits
more thoroughly, for, according to
the report for 1898 by Mr.. George r
Kunz, the expert, there continues tC
be profitable activity in the making
of jewelry. This country has i'm
ported as much as $14,50oooo worth
of gems and gem material IN single
year, while the home production has
always been relatively slight, albeit
there is a gain. In 1898, for instance
the production of precious stones il
the United States represented about
$161 900, as against $4,000 in the year
before, and $9s,oo0 in the year before
that. The indications are that W,
have mineral veins and deposits that
will, when adequately worked, Offer
rewards far In excess of these fgurea