Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-02-13
GEMS FOUND IN THE WEST.

| Nearly All Varieties of Precious Stones
Have Been Picked Up.
The search for precious stones has
never been seriously prosecuted in Cali
fornia, and yet there are many experts
who hold that a diamond field will be
developed here some day. Indications
are not wanting to support the theory
Of the presence of such deposit. 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 min
ers are looking for gold, not for pre-
cious stones, when cleaning up. Occa-
sionally a bright pebble of greater spe-
citic gravity than the ordinary gravel
which is being driven down the sluces
will linger at the head and attract at
tention. Sometimes the miners curios-
lty Is excited and he submits the lag
gard stone to a test and it often proves
to be of value. Most of the diamonds
found In this State have come from Ell
Dorado County, adjacent to Placcrville.
The largest gem discovered 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 CHM
ney whence these gems drifted into the
adjacent river beds.
Opals have been found on the ocean
beach in this State at Pescadora. San
Diego and other points. Owyhee 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 it by New York jew
eler, but it was taken to London and
disposed of there at higher 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
abuudantly III 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 evidence s
of having been worked by the Span
iards and the AZtecs whom they cOu-
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 a break in the market. About
$4,000 worth of these gems is mined
annually from these deposits, and near
ly the same value of sapphires is taken
yearly out of the western formations.
Along the northern coast gems Of
considerable value have been found in
the shingle beaches. In Vancouver ISL
and garnets of good quality are very
plentiful, and variety of gems have
been picked up from time to time in
Alaska. But no systematic exploration
has been made for any kind of precious
stone in tie western part of the CONT
nent, except for turquoise and sap
phires. When it is undertaken precious
stones may cnt figure among the min
eral products of this region.- San
Francisco Chronicle.