The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-15
PRECIOUS STONES OF
IDAHO ARE ABUNDANT
Sapphires, Especially, Are Very
Fine, and Occur With
Color.

Washington county came TO the front
cry of precious stones. consisting OF
deposit of genuine sapphires says r. y.
Bell in the Mining World. The sapphire
Is the next hardest substance in nature
TO the diamond. /, Is clear crystallized
corundum- Ordinary Opaque corundum
crystals are used for abrasive material
and have very little commercial value
In this region at the present time. but
the clear crystals make beautiful and
lasting gems and American sapphires
have the peculiar and valuable property
OF rejecting their sparkling colors and
tints under artificial light as we'll as by
daylight, property not so fully pos
sessed by the foreign Oriental gems.
sapphires occur In all colors. while
blue is the true sapphire color, The
substance of true ruby is practically
the same as the blue sapphire the only
difference being In the slight mixture OF
other natural cooring matter. and the
prefix Oriental is added 10 the genu-
inc corundum crystal OF any other color
ruby: amethyst. emerald, etc. The
sapphire deposits OF Washington county,
Idaho. occur at the Rock Flat gold pla-
Ger mine. near Meadows postofhce on
waters of the Little Salmon and the
North Payette rivers in a beautiful heaV-
lily tlmbered district near Payette lake
The general formation OF the district
is gneiss and the corundum crystals.
which include some of an excellent gem
quality, seem TO be derived from wide
dixie OF hasaltic clay formation with
peculiar sphereoidal structure. The gem
stones are found associated with a great
array OF pyrope garnets In the cleanup
boxes of an old placer pit. Some beau
tlful gems have been found, They occur
in a variety OF colors the Oriental anne
thyst shades predominating Most OF
them have an opalescent silky sheen. and
are not of high value. but would cut INTO
excellent cats eyes ana star sappnlres.
Some bronze crystals would also make
handsome tiger eye sets. Some small
stones. however, Of fine quality. have
been found. which when cut, are as
a beautiful clear cornHower blue color,
Others make brilliant pink stones as
large as one and one-half carats In
weight after cutting, The crystals also
nothing as yet approaching true ruby
color.
This development is now In progress.
4 drainage tunnel Is being run 10 tap
the deposit at depth OF eighty feet.
This has been extended in GOO feet
through the rim Of the plateau and II
is probable that connection VIII DE
made above the race OF TINS s,,. tunne, mel, 70
tion. which is only eighty feet above the
face OF the tunnel. This VIII greaily
facilitate the further working OF the
mine. and 1T is not unlikely VIII give
washington county a prominence as d
producer of valuable gem stones.
Basaltic dixie formations of the same
nature as the one above described are OF
common occurrence In connection win
the placer deposits found in the eruptive
GRANTEES OF central Idaho and other sap
phIre discoveries are likely 10 be made
in the working of these placers 1t Will
be we'll for the miners to keep sharp
lookout at cleanup time for clear col
ored CRYSTALS OF other than red, which
are likely TO prove sapphires OF consid-
cradle value. for the OPAQUE oorundum
CRYSTALS are known to exist at a number
niacer deposits around Resort In Idaho
county. in the Gold fork and other tribu-
tary streams OF the North Payette river
in Boise county. and In the placers OF
Stanley basin in Custer county, and 81
Pierce City in Nez Perce county.