The copper era and Morenci leader., 1917-03-16
ARIZONA GEMS ARE OF VERY MUCH
 VALUE

The best known gems found in Ari- zCna are the turquoise, garnet, peri dot, chrysocolla, azyr-malachite, mal- achite, agate, chalcedony, amethyst inc, quartz, diamond (meteoric) dip tose and topaz, says a bulletin of the State Bureau of Mines.
 Most of the gems are precious stone found in Arizona are merely by products of the mining of other sub stances, and are sorted out from poor CT specimens. The turquoise, garnet and peridot are mined separately. There are several companies that have produced turquois in Arizona. The garnets are gathered from the sand and gravel beds in which they are most commonly found.
 In preparing precious stones for market, the best specimens are first selected, cleaned, cut in various shapes, and polished. Poorer speci- mems are also cut and polished, or they may be reserved for use in pri- vate and public collections.
 ! Wholesale prices of gems Fur quoise is worth up to $100 a pound at the mine, in the rough, but usually is less valuable Matrix material brings from $5 to $25 a pound. Cut matrix turquoise costs from ten cents to two
 dollars a carat. Cut clear blue tur-
 quoise costs from S1 to $10 carat,
 the price increasing with size. When
 cut in large quantities, stones may be
 cut for three to five cents carat. Garnet is sold in the rough as sin gle stones, and brings a price rather ,, less than one-fifth the price of cut , stcne. Cut pyropene garnets are worth from 50 cents to $2 carat, de lpending on the quality. Almandine | t. garnets, if resembling the emerald cost SIP to s15 a carat. The cost O cutting is $1 to $1. 50 a carat. : Peridot is also sold as separate I stones Cut material runs from S2 tt $ $15 a carat; $5 usually buys goot
 stone. Cutting costs from S1 to $1.5' , a carat.
 : Copper bearing stones, excludin. l high grade malachite, sell for abou l $10 a pound When cut they are solt l by the stone rather than by carat, ant t are sold so as to make profit. NJ
 definite price can be set. They cos s from five cents to ten cents a cara l. for cutting.
 | Chalcedony, unless of the turtl
 back variety, is hardly worth $1 pc pound Cut material is hardly wort
 the cost of cutting, which is , to l
 cents a carat. Turtle back variet e brings S5 or more for a stone.
 Amethystine quartz is almost val Y ueless except as mineral specimen
 unless it holds color. The cut Amer > can material is hardly worth nor
 than the cost of cutting. But foreig Y material may be worth $4 cara T when cut. The cost of cutting
 from 50 cents to s1 carat
 ; Topaz is bought by the single stone
 Fine gem crystals, when colored, ma IL be worth $50 to $100. Cut materia
 in darp blue shades, brings. $10 to $2 l. carat; the fine golden yellow brin
 $4 carat; diamond cut white stone ? bring $1 to S2 a carat. The cost c
 cutting is about S1 a carat.
 : In Arizona the turquoise and garne
 are sure of a wide markst, at almos > all times. Gems of the copper groul
 azurite, malachite, dioptase, etc, wi
 find a market, not always steady, bu T. fairly so, especially with the curi :, seekers.
 l. Although there is, as has been see
 quite wide variety of gems and pr a. cious stones in Arizona, one coul u hardly say that prospects Of an
 great or continued production ar good. Wat production there is wi
 tDrOhahlV always he on a small seal,