BERYL GEMS AND SPODUMENE (HIDDENITE). 41
In
the soil overlying the rock and resulting from its decomposition, nine
crystals of emeralds were found, later, all doubly terminated and
measuring from 1 to 3 inches (25 to 77 millimeters) in width. The
latter crystal is very perfect as a specimen; it is of fine light green
color and weighs 8-3/4 ounces, or only 1/4 ounce less than the famous Duke of Devonshire emerald crystal (PI. III). Another crystal measuring 2-1/2 inches
(63 millimeters) by 11/1.2 inch (25 millimeters) is rilled with large
rhombohedral cavities, formerly containing dolomite. As mineral
specimens these are quite unique.
Some peculiar features pertaining to the emeralds and beryls from this region, are particularly noted by Mr. Hidden.2
" They appear," he says, " as though filed across the prismatic faces."
The basal plane is also often pitted with minute depressed hexagonal
pyramids, that lie with their edges parallel to one another, and to the
edge of the di-hexagonal prism. Rarely, though, crystals are found with
perfectly smooth and brilliant faces. The emerald color is often
focused on the surface and fades gradually to a colorless central core,
which feature is of exceeding interest when the genesis of the mineral
is considered.3 A similar etching or corrosion appears in
beryls from Colorado and those from Pala, California. A remarkable fact
is that we have here a green beryl (emerald) and emerald green
spodumene (hiddenite), and in the Pala, California, mine, we have lilac
spodumene (kunzite) and pink beryls.
Some
beryls and emeralds of pale color were also collected by Mr. J. A. D.
Stephenson, 1 mile southwest of the Stony Point deposit and a short
distance from the place where the same mineral was found by Mr.
Smeaton, of New York. Such discoveries tend to show that the deposit is
evidently not the only one, and that there is still encouragement for
future working in this region.
In
July, 1894," a new locality of true emeralds, in the western part of
the State, was discovered by Mr. J. L. Eorison, a pioneer miner of
mica, and Mr. D. A. Bowman, on the Eorison property, 14 miles from
Bakers-ville, and about the same distance from Mitchell's Peak,
Mitchell County. Here, at an elevation of 5000 feet, on Big Crabtree
Mountain occurs a vein of pegmatite some 5 feet wide, with well defined
walls, in mica-schist. It outcrops for perhaps 100 yards, with a
north-and-south strike (Pl. X). This vein carries a variety of minerals
besides its component quartz and feldspar, among these being garnets of
a translucent reddish color, and black tourmaline, the latter abundant
in slender crystals; beryls, white,
