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QUARTZ AND OPAL.
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clear
crystal balls of from 2 to 2-J inches (PL VII, A). One of these from
Alexander County, measuring 2 3/16 inches, is in the State Museum of
Natural History at Albany, N. Y. A very interesting bead made of
rock-crystal, fluted and drilled from both ends, is in the collection
of A. E. Douglas, in New York City. It is evidently native work, as it
is improbable that foreign traders would use white rock-crystal beads,
when glass would answer the purpose as well.
The
Indians who lived in North Carolina previous to the advent of the white
man occasionally noticed quartz crystals, as is shown by some being
found in the mounds. They also realized the beautiful cutting edge that
this material would possess if it were chipped in the form of an arrow
point; and so they used up great quantities of the white quartzite for
this purpose, and occasionally a transparent piece of quartz, either
white or smoky. Many such objects,—of the chase or of war,—made of this
beautiful material have been found, and are to be seen in our museums.
Within the past 10 years, however, the demand for these transparent
arrow-heads has increased, until the demand has so much exceeded the
supply that some of the inhabitants, especially in Mitchell County,
with remarkable cupidity and cleverness, have chipped arrow-points out
of quartz crystals. These are in many ways quite as beautiful as the
Indian work, but have no archaeological value, of course, though they
are to some extent sold as articles of ornament.
The
highly modified crystals from White Plains, in Surrey County, and Stony
Point, Alexander Count}', and also from Catawba and Burke counties, N.
C, are worthy of note as being crystallographically unequalled
anywhere, and as having formed the subject of special memoirs by Dr.
Gerhard von Bath2 (Pls. VI, A and VIII, A). A beautiful opalescent quartz has been found in Stokes County.
Amethyst (Purple Variety of Quartz.)—An
almost unique gem in the collection of the United States National
Museum at Washington is a piece of amethyst found at Webster, N. C, and
deposited by Dr. H. S. Lucas. The present form is just such as would be
made by a lapidary in roughly shaping a stone, preliminary to cutting
and polishing it. It was turtle-shaped when found, though the shape was
unfortunately destroyed by chipping, and was said to have borne marks
of the handiwork of prehistoric man. It now measures 3-2/5 inches (6
centimeters) in width, 1-1/2 inches (4 centimeters) in
thickness, and weighs 4-3/4 ounces (135.5 grams). It is perfectly
transparent, slightly smoky, and pale at one end, and also has a smoky
streak in the center.
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