The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-09-12
SOME NATIVE GEMS.
That Might Become A Mighty Industry.
Even Granite Makes a Handsome Stick
Pin

That Might Become A Mighty Industry.
Even Granite Makes Handsome Stick
Pin.
While in local jewelry store the
other day the Argus reporter saw some
beautiful gems cut and polished to be
made into scarf pins of the half oval
form; that is oval or elliptical and
then split in two so as to lie flat in
| the setting. There were some blue
ones, some pink ones, some that looked
like drops of soap suds, one brown one
| and one that looked exactly like the
feathers of a Plymouth Rock hen ex-
| cept that it had a reddish cast instead
OF blush one as the hens feathers
have
1t was explained that each and every
one OF these gems was a Maine product
and that there were mllliousmore where
! they came from. The pink one and the
light blue one We're said to be tourma-
lines and not the best form of tourmaiine
at that, the white one was one kind OF
quartz, a second pink one was pink
quartz, the one that looked like soap
.suds was a moOnstone, the brown one
was form of beryl and the speckled
| one was just nothing bat Name granite
cut ana polished to make a gem.
This whole handful OF Jewels was a
revelation to the Argus reporter for up
to that moment it had never been sus-
p, cted that these several kind of rocks
would polish up SO finely.
vi course every person above the age
OF ten IN Maine knows all about the fine
kind of tourmalines that have made Mt.
Apatite and parts of Auburn and that
section famous the world over. Some of
the gems are water clear and are worth
their weight in diamonds or pretty near
II. But these comparatively common
looking stones in the collection looked
almost as good as the other kind when
seen cut and polished.
But the idea of taking granite and
making jewel out of it was distinctly
new. But why not?
Ex-Alderman Fred H. johnson has
or had the last time the Argus talked
with him, handsome watch charm
which he shows with much pride as a
relic of his former occupation. Coal?
sure thing. 1t is made of a piece of
anthracite coal, cut and polished and
properly set and it makes a handsome
watch charm. He says they also make
1t up into stick pins and scarf pins and
ever way it is prepared.
IL SUCH ordinary things as coal and
granite can be worked up into gems why
not try 1T on some of the other Maine
rocks and thus establish a new industry?
The Monson slate, for instance ought to,
IN the hands of skilled lapidaries make
hne watch charms, scarf pins, brooches
and other articles of personal jewelry
also valuable souvenir
Maine has SO many different kinds and
forms of granite that it ought to be pos
sible for man, who has an eye to bust
ness, to get up at least a hundred differ
ent patterns of pins and charms. Then
our feldspar takes a handsome polish
has it always in fact. That ought to
make handsome pins and charms if
properly worked by the right kind of
people.
Limestone would probably not do for
this purpose, but there are hundreds of
quartz deposits that would make lovely
gems and other kinds of minerals could
be hunted up to advantage.
Not to rake up any dead embers that
perhaps ought to be left to lie still and
grow cold, but what about silver and
gold ore and lead and copper nuggets
too. This seems to open up a wholly
new field of endeavor and to suggest a
souvenir business for enterprsing Maine
jewelers. that should bring in pretty
penny to them when they get it started.
Some of our friends are making a
great deal of noise in public places about
the immense undeveloped resources of
Maine.
Why not start up gem factory and
develop at least one of them and pro-
vide the world with lot of handsome,
durable and reasonably cheap articles of
jewelry, forming not only things of
beauty and value but likewise pretty
souvenirs also. Think it over.
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