The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-02-24
PRECIOUSSTONESINl 1920
AND VALUE OF IMPORTS
SEARCH ENCOURAGED BY Ex-
TRAORDlNARY DEMAND
SAPPHlRES.

George f. Kuntz gem expert New
York ma Engineering and Mining
Journal.
The mining and search for dia-
monds and other precious stones was
actively pursued i'm 1919 and in the
INST half of 1920. the extraordinary
demand Offering the greatest possible
announcement In 1919 the imports
of precious stones and pearls reached
the enormous total of 1O5.27S543 In
1920 heavy imports continued the to-
tai for the first nine months being
SGS1S5.739. higher figure than for
any similar period except that of
1919 The decrease applied to dia-
mond and pearl imports only the
value of other precious stones show
ing am increase of nearly SIOOO,OOO.
Diamonds in South Africa.
The South African diamond mines
We're successfully worked in 1920.
several new areas have been opened
up, notably in the postmastburg re-
sion. about 40 miles west of kim
Derley, where several productive
pipes" have been discovered during
The last two or three years. Thlaping
farm on Tang's Reserve, Bechuana-
land. proved disappointing as only
1907 carats OF diamonds had been Sc
cured mp to the end of June The
Southwest African fields, formerly
.xri,ite3 l,- Eo,r,,,,. .,4 non. ,,,
der English control. have been work
co by the new owners, the Consoli-
dated Diamond Mines of Southwest
Africa. an enterprise in which some
americans have an interest
In the Belgian Congo in 1920, the
development i'm the Kasai diamond
fields by the Forminiere company was
pushed, but no attempt was made to
Increase the diamond production.
About 215.OOO carats of diamonds
we're produced. The company direct
I'd with satisfactory results the de-
rolopment work of six associated
companies in their respective conces- |
iions. one Of these companies oper- |
lting in Angola, or Portuguese e West |
Africa, in 1920, produced approxim-
,tely 100000 carats
Pike county, Ark was exploited for
diamonds i'm 1920 and mining for dia-
nonds in the United states has actu- |
ally begun. The preliminary work !
brought to light about 5000 stones |
,veraging tenths carat in
weight British Guiana produced IS
1879 carats Of diamonds in 1920
Montana sapphires.
Sapphires have been much favored /
md command higher prices than ever
before. In the last 20 years as much |
IS 81 100000 worth of sapphires has /
'ome from the Montana fields /
Queensland. Australia and Burma /
ave also produced many sapphires |
rhe Burmese mines continue to sup
by the bulk of the worlds rubies /
Fwo new gem minerals are of inter /
'st Scapolite, yellow transparent /
nd Of gem quality has lately been /
ound by Lacroix. together with /
'cryl euxenite and monazite. i'm a /
potash -pegmatite at Tsarasaotra. /
F'ibrolite (sillmanite). |
susceptible Of being cut into gems |
las been found i'm Burma and Ceylon |
nd is described by L. J. Spencer A
'cw and interesting find OF precious
turquoise has recently been reported
rom Argentina Jade, the rich green
ariety of iadeite from Burma. has
cen mined TO a greater extent in the
asst year than previously California
roduced a number OF the minor gems
nc hast ourmaliue kunzite and bervl
new and PROMISING opal field was
iscovered in 1915 at Shart's range
outh Australia and i'm 1920 still an
thor good field has been found in
''ntenhar not far from SYDNEY New
outh Wales The onals from New
d. having LARGE water content
re chiefly of value as mineralorico1
nopiroquc