Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-09-16
CALIFORNIA GEMS.
The State Contains Untold Wealth of
Precious Stones.

Precious Stones.
Gem mining Of late years has be.
comea distinctive industry in Califor.
mia, A bulletin iustissued by the state
mining bureau gives complete history
of the discoveries made Of deposits Of
gems, jewelers. materials and ornamen.
tai stones in the state and Of the op.
erations for their recovery which have
since been conducted Although the
variety of precious stones found in
California is greater than in any other
part of the world and, at least, one Of
the srystals, namely kunzite is an en-
tirely new addition to mineralogy the
industry has, so far, attracted compar.
atively little attention at home or
abroad. The mining bureaus bulletin
shows, however, that the field open for
exploration for many Of the gems con-
tanned in the state Is extensive. But
mining operations for their recovery
have been carried on unobtrusively by
only a few persons and on a limited
scale.
Thee hief deposits Of the more valu.
able gems proftably mined in the state
are found in San Bernardino, River
side and San Diego counties. In the
desert region Of San Bernardino coun-
ty, near the Arizona and Nevada boun-
dairy, there are several turquoise mines
being proftably worked. But the most
important and most valuable precious
stone deposits lie in the mountainous
region intersecting the boundary Of
Riverside and San Diego counties. The
Mesa Grande, Pala, Coahuila and San
Jacinto mountain districts, in these
counties, contain numerous veins rich In
tourmaline, topaz, kunzite, gsrnets and
other stones of great value to the lap
idary and jeweler. These districts con-
stitute the only field in the world in
which the new gem crystal. kunzite, is
known TO exist. This gem is said to
be worth in the market from SO to $50
per catat. Some exceptionally fine
specimens of the crystal have com
manded much higher prices, however.
Diamonds have been found in the
auriferous gravels Of the central and
northern counties. These have been
accidentally recovered in the rifles Of
the sluices used in mining for placer
gold. They have not been either nu'
merous or large, but some Of them are
exceptionally beautiful and full Of in
terest. No systematic search has been
made, however, for a diamondiferous
deposit, which the presence Of these oc
casional gems in the auriferous gravel'
suggests exists somewhere near the 10
calities in which they have been found
The placer miners Of the state have
given no attention to the possible re
covery Of diamonds, although DR.. Kunz
of the United States geological survey
suggests that the employment Of th'
new grease-board separator used in th'
South African diamond mines as an ad
iunct to the ordinary sluices might re
suit in the recovery Of many preciou
stones which now pass into the dumps
He says: cit Is a remarkable fac
that, while most all other minerals pas
overa board coated with mutton tallow
when such a board is vigrated o.
'jigged,' all diamonds present remaiI
adhering to the tallow and can thus b.
separated" This grease-board at pres
ent saves all diamonds, down 20 th'
size of a pin point, in thu South Afri
can diamond vashings. Before tn
grease-board was devised by Mr.. Ker
stem Of Kimberley a large percentag
Of the precious stones mined Their
were carried Off with the waste. Th
suggestion ought not TO be )overlooke'
by California placer miners. IL nigh
resultin the uncovering Of valuable dia
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