The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-06-27
GEMS FOUND IN THE WEST.
Nearly All Varieties OF Precious stones
Have Been Picked Up.

nearly All Varieties OF Precious stones
Have Been Picked Up.
The search for precious stones has
never been seriously prosecuted in Cal
ifornia, and yet there are many ex-
perts who hold that a diamond field
will be developed here some day. Indi-
cations are not wanting to support the
theory of the presence of such de-
posit. Small diamonds of good quality
have been found at intervals in the
sluices of the placer mines In every
instance the find was an accident. The
placer miners are looking for gold. not
for precious stones. when cleaning up.
Occasionally Il bright pebble of greater
specific gravity than the ordinary
gravel which is being driven down the
sluices viii llnger at the head and at
tract attention. Sometimes the min
er's curiosity is excited, and he sub
mits the laggard stone to q test and 1t
often proves to be of value. Most of
the diamonds found in this State have
come from Ell Dorado County, adjacent
to Placerville. The largest gem dis
covered in that quarter Is said to have
been valued at $500. after being cut
by the lapidary; 1t was sold to a San
Francisco jeweler in the rough for
$500. Perhaps some one will stumble
some day on the chimney whence these
gems drifted into the ancient river
beds.
Opals have been found on the ocean
beach in this State at Pescadora. San
Diego and other points. 0wbyee Coun-
ty. Idaho, has also produced some fine
specimens of the same stone. Sap
phires of great value have been found
in Idaho, Montana, Arizona and New
Mexico. The largest of this kind of
gems was mined in Idaho. and $500
was offered for 1t by New York jew
eler, but it was taken to London and
disposed of there at high figure A
sapphire-bearing vein five miles in
length exists in Fergus County. Mon
tana from which splendid stones have
been obtained. Rubies of considerable
value have also been found in the
Western States named and In Arizona
and New Mexico.
Turquoise of fine quality is found
abundantly in the desert region of this
State and in Nevada. Arizona and New
Mexico. Some of the turquoise mines
now being worked near the point where
the boundary lines of California. Ne
vada and Arizona meet bear evidences
of having been worked by the Span
iards and the Aztecs whom they con-
quered. Aztec remains and the imple-
ments of Spanish miners have been
found in the old workings The depos-
its of this gem in the States and Terri
tories named are so extensive that min
ing is restricted by their owners to pre-
vent n break in the market. About
$4,000 worth of these gems is mined
annually from these deposits, and
nearly the same value of sapphires is
taken yearly out of the western for
nation.
Along the northern coast gems of
considerable value have been found in
the shingle beaches. In Vancouver
Island garnets of good quality are very
plentiful. and a variety of gems have
been picked up from time to time in
Alaska. But no systematic exploration
has been made for any kind of pre-
cious stone in the western part of the
continent, except for turquoise and
sapphires. When it is undertaken pre-
cious stones may cut a figure among
the mineral products of this region
San Francisco Chronicle.