Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-10-07
NEW CALIFORNIA GEM.
Stone Found i'm That State Is Rival
Of the Amethyst-Named
NKunzite.o


Lovers of jewels will be delighted to
learn that a valuable addition has just
been made to the variety and stock or
precious stones. AS cut for mounting,
the new gem, kunzite, exhibits an ex-
Quisite lilac tint, deeper than that of the
pink sapphire or topaz. and lighter than
the purple of an oriental amethyst, re-
ports the New York Tribune.
Although the discovery of a fine guam
tity Of kunzite is of comparatively recent
occurrence, the existence of a poor grade
and Of allied species of the same mineral
has long been known to specialists in
| that department of science. What il
| known as spodumene has been found in
Brazil, where it has yellowish tinge,
and In North Carolina, where the color
| is green. For that reason the latter
kind, technically known as liddenite, is
sometimes called an emerald, although
| Its Composition is not Identical with
hat of the red emerald. Finally, small
bits of pink spodumene have been picked
up in Connecticut. These are believed
to be the remnants of larger, and pos
sibly handsomer, masses, but have not
| possessed sufficient beauty aud sic to
| Justify consideration.
The new stone, uncut samples Of which
are to be found in the Morgan collection
at the Museum of Natural History, comes
| from California. 1t has been found in
| two places near Pala, San Diego county.
| One hardly knows which to admire the
more, the exquisite coloring or the purity
| of the new gem Some of the other va
rieties are translucent or Opaque. This is
as clear as diamond.
| AS taken from the earth, the stone
has only a slight luster. The masses
of crystal are fiat, like cakes of cam
phor gum, though of different hue.
From superficial glance one might
suppose that they would split up into
| thin layers, as mica does. However,
the material is almost as hard as the
| group of stones to which the rather
comprehensive name of sapphire is
given. This includes the ruby, emer-
lld amethyst and blue sapphire.
| These are all forms of corundum,
which in an impure state and ground
| to powder is known as emery. Pure
corundum is an oxide Of aluminium.
KunZite, like other varieties of spodu-
meme, has more complicated compo-
sition. 1t is siiicate of alumina and
lithia. One of the largest pieces found
in California is eight inches long, four
inches wide, and over an inch and
half in thickness.
Owing to the great Importance which
the lilac tinted stone derives from the
discovery in California, mineralogists
have felt that it needed new and spe-
cific title. Almost simultaneously Prof
E. S. Dana, of Yale, and DR.. Charles
Baskerville, Of the University of North
Carolina, proposed that this designa-
ton be derived from the name of DR..
George F. Kunz. president of the New
York neurological club. and one OF
the most accomplished of the worlds
experts in gems. The suggestion was
based on the fact that DR.. Kunz had
been largely instrumental in making
| the California discovery, and was in
accordance with we'll established
precedent among mineralogists and
oaturalists.
While the intrinsic charms of the
new gem are alone sufficient to give
1t Importance, the possession of a
unique quality has been observed
which is sure to create a sensation.
/ kunZite has the power of fluorescence
or continuing to glow family after il
has been subjected to the influence OF
Roentgen rays DR.. Baskerville, who
has been making special study of the
mineral at the Museum of Natural
History, reports that during an ex.
posture Of five minutes piece Of this
stone would absorb enough radiance
to photograph itself upon a sheet OF
sensitive paper, when left in a dark
room, and would also be family self.
luminous for several minutes.