Due to a new server, slow response may occur for which we apologize

Close Box

Coming soon...

Close Right Panel

Ch. 6:Other Gems

Page of 515

Text size:



	362	A POPULAR TREATISE ON. GEMS.

	SERPENTINE. This mineral derives its name from its variegated color, which resembles the skin of a serpent. It is generally divided into two varieties: the common, or opaque serpentine ; and the precious, noble, or twnslucent serpentine. Serpentine occurs massive; the common is occasionally crystallized in rhomboidal crystals,—in Norway, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; it has a splintery, uneven, and con-choidal fracture; is unctuous to the touch; yields to the knife; its colors are green in all its shades, but also reddish and grayish; hardness, 3.4 ; specific gravity, 2.5 ; is infusible before the blowpipe, but with borax dissolves into a transparent glass. It does not belong to the stratified rocks, but to the ophites of Brogniavt, and is mostly associated with granite, gneiss; micaceous, chlorite, argillaceous schists, and limestone; it therefore belongs to the primitive formation. Serpentine, for richness and variety of colors, exceeds all other rocks; and it abounds all over the globe, in large consolidated masses. The finest precious serpentines come from Fahleen and Gulsjo, in Sweden, the Isle of Man, the neighborhood of Portsay, in Aberdeenshire, Corsica, Siberia, and Saxony. Common serpentine occurs at Lizzard Point, in Cornwall. In the Alps we find the serpentine nine thousand feet high; in France, the mountains of Limousin ; in Spain, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, the Shetland Isles, England, Italy, Bohemia, Saxony, Bavaria, and Switzerland; in the United States we find it all along the Atlantic coast, where the primary rocks are found, as at Hoboken (New Jersey), opposite to New York city, Warwick (New Jersey), as far as Maryland, at Bare Hills, through Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, &c. The serpentine beds of Massachu-

Page of 515

Table Of Contents

Annotate/ Highlight

Feuchtwanger. Treatise on Precious Stones.

Existing selections:

1 Page 399 second in August and September; and the more rain, the more
comment:

delete edit

2 Page 401 weight of twenty-four grains is counted as thirty; so that a
comment:

delete edit

3 Page 398 body on, or by boring a hole in, the shell. The Chinese are
comment:

delete edit

4 Page 400 At the Pearl Islands, near the Isthmus of Panama, the pearl
comment:

delete edit

5 Page 406 In 1620, King Philip IV., of Spain, purchased a pear-shaped
comment:

delete edit

6 Page 401 weight of twenty-four grains is counted as thirty; so that a
comment:

delete edit

7 Page 402 reach the age of seven or eight years, and in the fourth yea
comment:

delete edit

8 Page 403 found in the Elster river, in the kingdom of Saxony, from it
comment:

delete edit

9 Page 404 nearly two millions of francs ; Julius Csesar presented to S
comment:

delete edit

10 Page 404 nearly two millions of francs ; Julius Csesar presented to S
comment:

delete edit

11 Page 405 The seed pearls, when quite round, are worth about one hundr
comment:

delete edit

12 Page 411 and on the Continent ; around Southampton, in England, these
comment:

delete edit

13 Page 412 Artificial Pearls. Artificial pearls or beads are of variou
comment:

delete edit

14 Page 406 n 1620, King Philip IV., of Spain, purchased a pear-shaped p
comment:

delete edit

15 Page 409 near the town of Paterson, New Jersey, went to a neighbori
comment:

delete edit

16 Page 410 of Messrs. Tiffany & Co., was purchased from Mr. Howell for
comment:

delete edit

17 Page 415 The shad-fish, as well as the white-fish of our lakes, must
comment:

delete edit

18 Page 413 decomposition, and for their preservation numerous chemica
comment:

delete edit

19 Page 414 Heidelberg, Nuremberg, Sonnenberg, Meistersdorf, in Bohemi
comment:

delete edit

Saving current selection: No selection.
Comment:

Search
Books

Tag
This Page