The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-08-07
OUR Paeelols STONES
Worsds Largest Sapphire Mine
Located In Montana.

Located In Montana.
NILES LONG HDDEPTH UNKNOWN
Soufhern CalifornAs Counties May
RavafrUral Mountalns In Production
Of Beryl, Topas, Tourmalane and
Other Gems Turquoise Mines In
Three States - Great Demand For
D1amonds In 1905,
What is said by the experts Of the
United States geological survey to be
the greatest gem mine In the world is
about to be worked In Montana, says q
Washington dispatch to the New York
Sun. tits located in Yogo gulch and
is about four miles long on the sur
face and descenis to an unknown
depth. It il estimated that the entire
workable sapphire bearing rock will
approximate 100000 cubic yards. A
mining plant il now being erected
there which win quadruple the previ-
Gus output and make Montana sapphire
mining an important factor IN Amer
lean gem production.
The stones obtained are not Of large
size. They range from "culis," used
for watch jewels and other mechanical
purposes, to gems averaging when cut
from half a carat to two or three car
ats and rarely up to five or six carats.
As gems they are brilliant. free from
flaws and Of good color, ranging from
light shades to the rich, deep blue Of
oriental sapphires. The Togo crystals
have an advantage for mechanical
uses over East. Iud1an stones in their
form. which 10 largely short. prbmetic
or rhombohedc@1 with fat basal ter
limitations, and they need much
less cutting Tor such purposes a. watch
jewels. The gems aee Gent to Amster-
dam for ct5t1dg and yield from two.
f1fths to one-ha1f their weight in un-
finished stones.
According to Information received at
the Offices Of the survey, the southern
counties OF California bid fair to rival
the DIAL mountains in the production
Of touunaIine, besyb topaz and Other
precious st0des Which have been the
pride OF that region Tor the last half
The turquoise l1anSS of New Mexico
and Arisona hsve lsteay not been Is
productive as formerly, says George
b. Kunx in a report on the production
Of precious stones IN 1906. The tur.
Quoise properties o." California and Ne.
vada have. however. been Increasing
! their outpnt. Considerable quantities
Of turqnDase have besS hken from the
mines IN TIE desert region Of San Der.
nardino county, Cal. Many of the
stones range from 50 to TOO carats in
size. Seine Of them have sold for as
much as 81, 500 each Tie color rs pale,
but it has gained favor, and large
quantities Of the stones have been sold
In the form Of beads for necklaces.
From tinse to time amethysts are dis
covered In North Carcaina, especially
In the region Of Rabun gap Georgia,
on the North Carolina border. No
quantity sufficient to warrant mining
seems to exist. Yet many Of the stones
are incomparably beautiful, second in
deed to none found In foreign ;coun.
tries.
Never before in the history Of the
United States has there been such q
demand for diamonds as there was In
1895. Large quantities were imported
but the United States produced none
In 1903 it produced diamonds to the
value Of $50, in 1901 1t had an outpu,
worth 500, in 300 its production was
vauied at $50, and in 1899 the country
Boosted native diamonds to the value
Of $500. Diamonds have been discov
cred in the United States in four diff
fefent regions, butYtheir actual place OF
origin is in every case unknown. AL
that have been found were il loose
and superficial deposits and all acct
dentally. 1t Is not at all improbable
however, that some day the Origina
sources of this queen Of gems may b
discovered - =