Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1911-11-15
T'Hyciors STONES ~ UNITED
sTtTt.s.


Il may perhaps be- surprising to
many people 20 learn thar the United
states produces almost every variety
~ precious Stoncs-from diamonds
down Ths precious stones produced
In this country last year had vaIns
Of f3sa,7ss, asalnst s634,3So in 1908.
according To- an advance chapter from
Mineral Resources 0f the United
states On the production Of gems ana
precious stones In 1910. bv Douglas
u. Sicrrett. just published by the init
ed states geological survey The large
decrease In the output OF few OF the
more important gem minerals--tour-
inalinc, turquoise. chrysoprase, etc.
says ar. Sterreit. readily accounted
for the fall In the value OF production.
A. nm Instance 90 this decrease in
production. about eight and one-half
tons of rough turquoise were produced
IN letp ~ compared with more than
seventeen tons In 1903.
Al the diamonds produced In this
country In 1910 came from Arkansas
and california. the output ~ Arkansas
amounting to about goo stones. Soy.
"AfhA NNNANNNH WIZ NVNNiN 81 ANlINI~
Mia last year. one OF which weighs
about half carat ana another be-
tween on. ana thrcc-qunrters and
two carats- The latter Is a brilliant
clear. fiawiess stone, with tinge Of
yellow.
Colorado yields some very pretty
aRntcs and some are being successfully
handled IN the tourist trade. hut
number of these stonca sold each year
at the summer resorts OF the state
are imported from Germany where
they have been polished. Others are
nafige stones polished abroad. al
though some are pollshed IN the rhit-
ed states.
In Montana. u sapphire Weighing
over four and onc-hali carats has been
found This stone. when discovered.
had very much The shape OF a rough
diamond crystal. ON account OF which
u had very great rofractlye power.
In addition to discussing deposits OF
pre- cibus stones it atle United states
AFR. strrrcu also describes foreign
mine and their output. An account
is given OF IN" redlscnvery Of certain
lost enc raid mines In Colombia When
wv NiitfHlFi Abhh tibhN'ftltU OI ANNN
country. In the sixteenth century, the
emerald mines 81 the Indlaus we're
seized By them. Excessive crus ities
were prloticed By the spanish mine
workers on the Indians employed IN
the mines. In fhe war OF independ-
cnee Of 1915, the country was so des-
olated that the mines OF cosques and
Somondoco were entirely lost. A Co
iombinn named Francisco Restrep.
guided by a few hints given IN am
Gent spanish parchment maps. and
with little or No knowledge ~ geology
or enseralds undertook the search for
the lost emerald mines. In 1895 he
found traces ~ ancient workings and
later the large workings of the lost
mines. These mines are situated on
ridge of.thc great eastern range ~ the
Andes. at an elevation " about s.00e
feet above the sea level. The great
open cuts and tunnels were scattered
over an area six miles long and three
mites wide.
II n worthy % note that ne nnriicn.
lar section Of the United states has
"A monopoly OF precious stone deposits. /
for instance. turquoise have been
found both 10 Virginia and IN Nevada.
sapphres In Indiana and Montana
md topaz IN Texas coiorado.nnd cai-
ifornia. n