The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-20
NATIVE PRECIOUS STONES.
One Of the Finest Collections of
Valuable Minerals in the World.

One of the Finest Collections of
Valuable Minerals in the World.
New York, Jan. lin a few weeks
there will be put on exhibition In New
York city the finest col ection Of the pre-
cious minerals of this country ever gath
cred together. The collection was shown
at the Paris Exposiic ion in the Palace of
Diversified Industries by Tiffany e. Com
pany, and won the Grand PTix. The
United States governments gem expert,
George f. Kunz, has been engaged for
fourteen years In collecting, selecting and
arranging the'e specimens. They are
valued at 100000 The collection was
purchased at the Exposition by J. Pier
pont Morgan, who has presented It to
the American Museum of Natural His.
tory in New York city where It will be
put on exhibition In special pavilion. az
part OF the Tiffany Morgan collection of
precious stones.
To make up this collection all sections
OF the country have been avn upon for
their hidden wealth. The gorres and
canons of the Ro kies, the rnountain tons
brooks Of the Middle West, the stony hill
sides Of Maine, the sapphire bearing cliffs
of Montana, ard the turquoise mines Of
California have all given up their fash
Ing riches TO the quest Of the PROPRIETOR
ard the minsra osist. There is no kird of
gem found within the limits OF the ma
ton. from Alaska to Texas which is not
represented in this collection.
In the Paris exhibit one of the proni-
nent features was the magnificent dis
play made Of American pearls. These ara
shown In aggregate In the large glass re-
ceptacle IN the left foreground OF the Illus
tration. IT is interesting to note that the
empress Eugene paid Messrs. Tiffany a
Co, In 1855, 1850 francs for 9O-grain
fresh-water pearl found at Notch Brook
near Paterson, n. J. Many pearls have
since been found in the rivers and brool,s
or this country, worth from 500 70 $500
each, with an occasional find of Inucb
greater value. This feature of the EXHIBIT
served 10 bring to notice the growth OF
our pearl Industry. which, only $40 OOo IN
1856 grew to $4,000 in 1899. The hest 80
the American pearls are found In the
brooks, lakes and rivers Of the Tinted
states. They are found abundantIv On
wisconsin, Tennessee. Texas, Arkansas
Kentucky. Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska. In.
dian Territory. Washington and SHARING
~ In Maine, Vermont, Connecticut. New
Jersey and Ohio. Fresh-water r,oil,,al,.
were fshed for and the pearls worn bv
the aborigines centuries before the "a
vent OF the white man. The Union nearia
are found In the Mississippi vatIev anI
adjacent regions. The fishing for tben,
is carried on In summer and through tha
Ice IN winter, ana forms basis OF the
extensive pearl button Industry.
The exhibit contains many salt water
pearls from the Abalone shell. These
shells are green and yellow and are
found on the coast Of California. Thev
are obtained mostly by Chinese fisher
men, who use the meat of the rnoilusl,
for food and export large quantities OF il
| 20 China. In the collection of pearls there
were fresh water specimens, white and
co'ored. 557; multi coiored 4; Baroque.
1866; Hinge, 80; clam pearls. "a; Abalone
| pearls, Is; and conch pearls, lie
The collection illustrates the great va
| riety of color, shape and growth of the
| American pearl, and shows its develop
| ment under various conditions and envi-
| ronments. One of the star pearls is a
| large Baroque from the Mississippi river
weighing 1870 grains and having a value
| of $1,000. An historic feature of the coll
| lection is a number of pearls found on
the altar OF the Till Porter Mound by
| Prof. r. w. Putnam, director of the
Peabody Museum Of Archaeology, while
| exploring the Indian mounds in the Lit.
tie Miami valley There is also an In
dian wampum belt, of great beauty.
| Wampum besides being the currency Of
the Indians was used in the making OF
belts. which were often kept as tribal
records or worn as ceremonial orna-
ments in religious rites. These belts
are now very rare and valuable. The
Specimen I'm the Morgan collection Is made
Of beads ground from the purple part Of