Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-28
Where EmeraIds Come From.

Where do they come from-those
flashing stones of pure pelucid green
that often form the central setting of
beautys choicest gems? Diamonds
form but satellites when that rarest
of jewels, a perfect emerald, flashes its
fire from the snowy throat of woman
fair, or lends it's sheen to the jewel
encrusted crown of loyalty. Its birth
is hidden in the mystery of natures
alchemy, but its beauty and charm
have been recognized from the very
dawn of history.
Erneralds flashed on the shield of
Aaron: the Ptolomies of Egypt treas
ured them, and their lapidaries knew
the art of engraving on their hard sur
faces the mystic symbols of their an
cient faith the Theban tombs re-
vealed choice emeralds among their
long buried treasures, while Her.
eulaneum and Pompeii have added
their quote to the greed of modern ex-
cavators. Nero, that half-mad mon
ster who once ruled the destinies of
Rome, used an enormous emerald for
monoele; and in the filmy fabric of
the gowns of Cleopatra emeralds
shone in verdant !ustre.
Mount Zabarah, in Upper Egypt, is
said to have been the source of many
of these ancient germs, but centuries
have passed since these prolific mines
were exhausted and modern jewelers.
must now depend upon the Western
Hemisphere for their supply In the
spells Pizarro sent to Spain, so goes
the story in the Spanish edition for
May of the Monthly Bulletin of the
Fan American Union, We're found the
first fine specimens of American emer-
aids, and thus was revealed another
source of the manifold wealth of the
New World. Perhaps the most yalu-
able single emerald found in modern
times is the one in that famous col
lection of gems owned by the Duke of
Devonshire. 1t is said to be a per-
feet hexagonal crystal, weighing s
ounces and Is pennyweights. and two
inches in length. 1t came from the
mines of Colombia, and it is this
South American republic that fur
nishes the greatest supply of fine
emeralds known to the world today.
Not that Colombia is the only coun-
try that has emerald mines. Ecuador
and Peru have contributed their share
to the worlds supply, and in the for
mer country the city of Esmeraldas
Spanish for emeralds) takes its name
from the precious stones found in its
vicinity. Among the Aztec treasures
of Mexico were found emeralds as fine
as those of the Peruvian Incas, and it
is reported that Cortez was offered
10000 durats for one of the gems he
gathered from the hoard of Monte
yuma. The Mexican gems We're ex-
Quisitely cut, and il is from this source
that the magnificent emeralds now
forming part of the royal collection of
Spain We're supposed to have come.
In certain parts of Siberia, India, Salz-
burg in Austria, Australia, Norway,
Brazil, Ireland and in some areas of
the United States limited quantities of
the precious stones are found, but the
gems of greatest leauty and value are
deposits near Bogcta, the capital of
Colombia.
The Colombia gems exhibit to the
highest degree the qualities of color,
brilliancy, fiawlessness, and size char
acteristic of the best emeralds known,
and the Muzo district seems at pres
ent to be the most prolific of all min
ing zones. The natrix in which they
are imbedded overlies a great preci-
pice of black shale or slate. This
black rock contains but few stones.
They are found for the most part in
white calcite running in veins through
this slate, some being imbedded IN the
matrix and others lying in pockets.
These rocks dip in every direction,
evidently as the result of repeated
volcanic action; ard the strata are
traversed by cracks or small assures,
which have been filled up by infiltra-
ton with silica, alumina, lime and
magnesia. with a little chrome and