The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-21

Navahoe reservation. where the Indians
collect them in large quantities from the
ant hills which are numerous there. The
ant does all the hard work for the In
dams. In building their homes. or hills,
the ants run across these garnets as peb-
bes which obstruct their galleries and
passageways. They then proceed to dig
them out from the softer rock around
them and bring them to the surface. where
they are dumped out on the hill. The
Navahoe Indians find mem and pick them
up. The New Mexico garnets, as well as
those from Arizona and Colorado, are
found loose in the sand.
North Carolina produces very fine gar
nets One that is especially noticeable is
the new gem garnet. known as the "Rhod-
alite," which has fine almandlne req ana
is characterized by considerable fire
These garnets were mined extensively
during the past year. About $1,000 worth
have Been found. The color of the gem
is not constant. and is therefore, no cri-
terion for the jewel which may be deep
red or purplish red stone. These gems
vary in color from black through red. TO
several shades of brown, orange-red, yell
low. emerald-green, pink, and nearly
white.
The turquoise has been known from
time immemorial in the United States,
the principal sources at present being at
Los CerilIos. n. NJ, and Turquoise Noun
tain, Cochise County, Arizona. The tur-
quoise at Los Cerillos occurs in thin
veins or connections In the kaolin-lke
rock and frequently affords stones equal
ing in color those from Persia. These
workings are very old and were mined so
extensively by the ancient MeXicans that
the debris of former workings covers over
forty acres of surface The mineral from
these localities varies in color from a
fine sky blue through robins egg blue, to
blush and apple green. showing no blue
whatever The color of the turquoise, from
whatever source. is liable to change and
no guarantee can be given for its stabil-
ity. The owner of turquoise, therefore,
should be careful in cleaning the stone.
and under no conditions should the gem
be washed with soap and water The
hands should not be washed with the
ring on. If the color is to be retained In it's
original purity Some idea of the amount
of turquoise mining in the United States
may be had from the fact that the pro-
ANOTHER PRECIOUS PRODUCT.
The .opaz as a gem occurs in Connecti-
cut, Maine, New Hampshire, Utah, and
Colorado. 1t is most abundant in Willard
County, Utah. and Pixies Peak. Colorado.
The color of the Pixies Peak topaz in
cludes wine yellow, sherry red, aqua ma
rine, blue, and colorless. In the National
Museum is a fifteeE, carat cinnamon
liancy and beauty to the brilliant topazes
from Brazil. Pink topaz. as such, is rarely
found in nature, but ii can be tinted arti-
ficialfy by carefully heating the wine yell
low stones. Those from Brazil are COM
monty so treated.
The pearl occurs in abundance in the
United States. They are found in the
fresh-water mussels of the Mississippi,
Missouri, Ohio, and Cumberland Rivers,
and in the lakec and ponds of the Central
States. The color includes all the shades
of the rainbow. Some are light green,
rose colCr, blue, pink. yellow. and salmon
color. also iridesceut Large and valu-
able pearls have been found in the United
States. A green pearl found Near Pater-
son, N. j.. was sold to Empress Eugene
OF France, by Tiffany & Co. for s., 500
Today it is worth $1,000. 1t is a large
green iridescent gem. Single pearls
ranging in price from $50 to $500, quite
common, and the value of the total out
put for any one year averages $4,000.
Among the little known or less usual
gems found in the United States is the
"Hiddenite,' or lithia emerald. 1t is a
fine, lively grass green stone. superior to
the emerald in beatty 1t ranks among
the more expensive American gems, the
usual market price heiig s35 to $40 carat
1t is found in North Carolina.