The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-24
AMERICAS DIAMOND HUNT.
SEARCH FOR THE SOURCE OF THE
GEMS ALREADY FOUND.

Record Of the Discovery Of Diamonds In This
Country aAd Possibilities u Opens Up
Other Precious Stones Fssnd In This
Country-Ths Bsturas Uncomfortable so Far
Science Is constantly striving to determine
what precious stones lie hidden in the soil Of
this country. Thus far the returns have been
nconsiderable except along q few lines, nota-
bly, the turquoise and garnet mining Industries.
Nevertheless. a score Of species OF precious
stones have from time TO time been discovered
in various parts of the United States, and min
eralogists are not without expectation that
the natural wealth Of the country will one day
receive vast accessions from crystal treasures
that are now scattered amid worthless gravel
and dirt. Something of the progress OF dis
covery In this line Is told In the recent pam
phlet publishedby the Department Of the Interior
from the W enty- first annual report OF the
United states Geological Survey, under the
misleading title The Production OF Precious
Stones In the United States In 1890. '--nptsieaG-
ing because the pamphlet does not treat OF the
production Of these gems. which took place
thousands of years ago. but Of their discovery.
George +, kunz. the leading authority On
Precious stones in this country, i'tAa author.
Few per sons know that DIAMONDS have been
found in the United States. The output has
been so small as to be unimportant from a
commercial viewpoint, but 1t opens up great
possibilities. These gems have been found In
the morainal belt in Michigan, Wisconsin and
Ohio. In all seventeen Of these stones have
been found, one OF which, the Kohlsvi.le. Wis,
stone, weighed twenty-one carats. anG another
found in 1897 In Ohio by two little girls is a pure
and brilliant stone OF six carats. Mr.. Ku z
quotes Prof. Hobbs, who has made an eXhaus-
tive study Of the diamond belt ant believes
that the gems were deposited by glaciers on
the line OF the moraine of the later Ice sheet.
The area Of distribution Is coo miles long by
200 wide and Of eight localities where discov-
cries have been made six are within an area
200 miles square, the centro Of which Is Mil
waukee. Prof. Hobbs believes that for every
diamond found there are q thousand left in the
drift, and he thinks II very probable that there
are unsuspected diamonds In collections OF
farmhouse pebbles and cnrios. Al present
he is trying to rouse interest and stimulate
search among the farmers OF the rcgion by
distributing notices to them. Geological work
has been instituted TO determine the direction
of tie glacial movement in the country south
Of Hudson Bay, as ii is from that region prob
ably that the diamonds came originally, or
perhaps from Labrador. Search will be made
further eastward, along the morains line also.
in Ohio. Pennsylvania and this State.
A fine diamond has been found in Tennessee.
The finder was Charles Waller Of Union Cross
roads, Roane county. and the stone weighed
three curats when found. Cut, II weighed
a carat and a quarter and its quality Is shown
by the fact that it was sold FOR $3.50. a price
which a diamond Of that size does not bring
unless Of fine color and fiawless. In the auri-
ferrous gravel of California diamonds are occas-
ionally found. but they are mostly small and
! their presenoe Is revealed generally only In
fragments found after the destructive work
OF the stamp mills on the hard pan gravel, A
diamond from Cherokee. Cal, is valued at
$3.50 and a dozen crystals have been found in
the vicinity Of Place Vile that are reckoned 10
be worth from $50 to $3.50 each. A two
carat stone found at Nelson Point, Plumas
, county, last summer Is not Of very good color
and was sold for S75, Iii fortunate for America
that the demand Il not restricted by the national
supply. In 1870 the total value Of diamonds
and other precious stones imported into this
country. the greater part Of the tations
being diamonds, was more ;iiGn OH Wo0N.
Corundum In various forms Ia found in
the Cowee Valley in North Carolina, small
iubies, good specimens Of the purplish pink
garnet and considerable CorCndum not Of
gem quail ity ere also found there. Ex-
tcnslve alteration OF corundum into non-pre-
Cious forms by ny dration and combination has
lett It's traces.
IL is SUI ~ ising = Whites n mineralogIst who
has been studying the mineral deposits OF the
valley TO see the. positive evidence OF the
former existence OF hundreds Of Iounds weight
OF ruby and other corundum whore TO-DAY
only a few ounces of fragments or fakes re-
main.
In Plumas county, Cal, also, near whore
diamonds have been discovered. corundutn
has been brought 10 light, but no gems OF clear
crystals have been found. Further eXplora-
tions gre now under way there.
Montana sapphires have been known for a
number OF years; They are found 70 the foat
being the Montana green" DR.. Jankower
is now making Investigations among the hills
surrounding the blazers where the float pre-,
walls and hopes to find the original source Of
the gems. From the fact that the matrix
SUI partly adheres TO most Of the stones IT
of various coiors have been found interspersed
with the green, II is also thought that beds Of
separate colcrs may be found, The Montana
liant, particularly the red ones. and are more
brilliant in artificial than in natural light.
Heryis are found IN North Carolina, tonnecti-
mines have been established. In the North
Carolina mine, beryls OF a fine aouamarlns
Tin, weighing twenty . S%rst. , hay e be, bsen found:
in the mine at Merryall. Conn, together with
some. very fine garnets. Beryls have been
found for years at Grafton, &. H.. and tho
locality Is now being further developed. as good
indications Of beryl and garnet have been
and green tourmallne in crystals of slight gem
value are reported from Pala. Cal. Rock
crystal in large Transparent masses has been
found lately in the vicinity Of Bay City, Ore.
by, ", 2. Wood, Additional wealth from, the
L. ..nllAp NtLn 20 tn sIa ahaaA Af al
Is reported by gold hunters; also In the Amer
lean territory near Dawson City. These
stones are reported Is being Of a very rich. pur-
rle hue. like the output Of Maine and Of the
.ral Mountains; Recent finds Of amsthy.,t are
and Adair. J. T.. the last find being
three-quarters. inches. A beautiful blue
quartz, wei adapted TO use as an ornamental
of southeastern Penn yivanin along Penny
pack Creek, and brilliant blue pebble' have
been picked up In the drift on the SchuyIkill
River at Gibson Point.
Precious opal Is reported from Hornbeck,
clal value semioCal has been recently
Golden opal j. the name given to the frsless.
reddish. yellow. and brown oIal masses
Mex, and II Is nov being facetted for ale in
this country nj several dollars a carat, though
II has hitherto been regarded as practically
worthless. II i- NOT 50 hard as glars. In an
old extinct crater y the Fl Paso range Of
chalcedony Of various colors has been found.
Other places in that State where chalcedonv il
reoorted are Urper spanish Creek and san
Diego \ blue chalcedony has been found n
the Black Hills, This mineral has also been
found abundantly on the shores of PopofT Is