418 PRECIOUS STONES IN THE UNITED STATES.
The
tourmalines from Maine have long enjoyed a world-wide renown as the
finest known. Crystals over eight inches in length have been mined, but
unfortunately, many have been injured, either by weathering or by
blasting. A fine white cut achroite of 23 carats, a fine ruby-red
tourmaline of over 20 carats, some green of over 25 carats; and a large
number of almost all conceivable colors, are in the Hamlin and Shepard
collections. The former contains the finest series of this gem in the
world, and weuld furnish full suites for a dozen cabinets. The original
of Fig. 10 is in this collection. At this locality are crystals white
at one end, shading into green, then light green, and finally red at
the other end. We find here also the interesting occurrence of a green
outer crystal enclosing a white one, within which is a red or blue
centre (see Fig. 11). The gems from this locality would amount to many
thousands of dollars in value. Auburn, Maine, has also furnished a
number of light blue, and the principal lighter shades of blue and pink
gems, but none over 10 carats in weight. Explorations at Newcomb, New
York, during the last summer, brought to light many fine brown and
yellowish crystals, some weighing several carats, which are the finest,
yet discovered in this country, and closeiy resemble the brown gems
from Carinthia, Austria
The
greenish-yellow and green mineral supposed to be diopside, and sent by
Mr. W. E. Hidden to Dr. J. Lawrence Smith, the latter identified as a
new variety of spodumene, and named it " Hiddenite." It was originally
found by Mr. J A. D. Stephenson, It is a silicate of alumina containing
seven per cent, of lithia. Its hardness is 7. Only limited quantities_
of it have been found. Since it is a beautiful gem, and of purely
Amencwn origin, some stones have sold at over a hundred dollars per
carat; but, on account of the small quantities found, it was only
purchased in the United States. It possesses a peculiar brilliancy of
its own, although iis color is not an emerald green. The finest crystal
found is copied as Fig. 12 on the plate.
Crystals
of quartz (roek-crystal) are found abundantly in many localities in the
United States. At least, a hundred wagon-loads are annually sold at Hot
Springs to the local tourists, as are also rolled pebbles that are
found on the banks of the Washita. The scarcity of the latter and the
lively demand for them have awakened the cupidity of the farmers, so
that they have learned to make rolled pebbles by placing a number of 1
rystals in a box that is kept revolving a few days by water-power.
These are purchased by tourists, and cut into mementos The beautiful
crystals of Herkimer County, New York, and of Lake George are familiar
to most people. These small, exceptionally perfect crystals, have been
collected by the hundred thousand at these places. At times they are as
brilliant, transparent, and perfect as any known substance, not
excepting even the diamond. They occur in curious groupings, and often
include small specks of bitumen and pearlspar. They often enclose fluid
drops with moving bubbles, which contain two carbonaceous substances,
one of which sinks and the other rises as the crystal is turned. North
Carolina has furnished masses of transparent crystal over two inches
and a half in diameter. From Alaska, a 10 pound piece of a rockcrystal
has been cut into clear crystal slabs for hand-mirrors, three and five
inches in diameter. The most remarkable locality for rock-crystals is
that recently visited by the writer in Ashe County, North Carolina. On
of these weighed 285 pounds, being 29 inches long. A perfect one
weighing 22 pounds is the finest piece of rock-crystal that has been
found in this country. Another fine crystal, large parts of which were
clear, weighed over 300 pounds, but was unfortunately smashed by a
Herculean twelve-year-old mountain girl. Fine crystals measuring from
six to eight inches in diameter, that would afford crystal dishes
clocks, and other objects of luxury, have been procured here.
Amethysts
sufficiently perfect to be cut into gems, have been found at Stow,
Maine. The colored plate shows the finest one from this place (Fig.
13). The most remarkable amethyst found in the United States has been
deposited by
