The sun., 1919-09-29
GIANT OPAL OF THE
WORLD FOUND IN US.
Flawless Gem Weighing Near
ly II Ounces Now in In
terror Department.
IT'S TINTS MAGNIFICENT
Stone Is Valued at $250,0OO
and Soon May Be Put on
the Market.
SDeaa, DESPATCH TO The Sun.

WASHINGTON, Sept 2S.--America wins
the palm for the largest uncut gem ever
discovered, according to information
given THE SUN to-day. A giant black
opal. flawless. devoid of any dimmlnS
matrx and weighing, according TO the
balances in the office OF the assayer OF
the Treasury Department, 1896 Troy
ounces. with a tiny fractid> to spare
has been exhibited 10 a select few III
the office OF Secretary of the Interior
Lane.
In color the new gem Is commingled
glow of translucent greens and blues
very deep in tint and is shot with flames
of red. Roughly estimated the mass
of the stone is twenty-one cubic inches
Its weight in carats Is 2,bT2.SSE' III
grains S.136. No determination has yet
been reached as to its intrinsic value
The nearest approach to America
record breaking opal is the famous Wen
| nese opal discovered In northern Hun
gary in 1870. That gem, not HAWKES.
as is the American champ Is approx
mated two-thirds the size Of the Amer
| lean find. The Viennese opal weighs
l1O93 Troy ounces, or 1,65S,927 carats,
which translated into grains is 5.247OO1Z
| The mass of the Viennese stone Is
roughly thirteen cubic inches.
The value OF the Viennese stone. when
| IN view OF Ine IdCI IHdl IL Inns nav -
possessed by the world beating American
gem, gives some slight idea of the value
| of its successor in prominence. has peer
fixed at 100000. 1t never has changeo
hands at that price, but that Is the
value at mhch It is held by its pos
| SCISSORS who have refused successfully
offers of s125,OO0 and $4,000 for It.:
The shape and apparent size OF tn
American stone Is like quarter Oh
brick. Its length is 1916 Inches II
width 3 is inches and Its thlcKnes
l sic inches. The Viennese stone, whH
is wedge shaped. is 4 "a inches lone
2 l-2 inches wide and its thickness va
ries from 3 inches to IL inch.
The new stone is at present held b
its possessors to be worth $250,o00; a
least that is what they have hoped
might bring in the gem market. 1t wa
discovered more than two years ago bu
the discovery was not announced 10
the reason that in the emergency c
war Il was felt that the time was neithe
| ripe nor seemly for the Introduction
such a stupendous luxury to the gel
buyers and gem wearers or the WORN
3 The iridescence Of the new gem wa
= it's remarkable feature. according TO u
. fortunate ones admitted to Secretar
Lanes private view. For half an hot
5 the group sat spellbound as the
et watched the play of the fiery orange
l. red flares through the mellow emera
8 and sapphire tones of the stone itsel
!, The colors seemingly tremble In Il
v light, ever moving throughout the ma
! of the gem. There are no dull spot
r The flashes are everywhere and conu
:. uous.
: After the private view in Secreta,
+ Lanes office the gem was photograph
" for the National Geographic Society. L
70 Morrill,. curator of precious stones
= the National Museum, who has Sc
&c several lesser samples of similar ops
d from the new gem fields OF the Mort
west. expressed the opinion that t
n, production was the most remarkable a
m beautiful ever brought to his attentio