Ch. 8: Cyanite, Epidote, Tourmaline ... Pearls

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	CYANITE, EPIDOTE, TOURMALINE, SMARAGDITE, ETC. 57 mine near North Wilkesboro. It is hard and compact and polishes handsomely, and might prove as beautiful as that of Harford County, Maryland. Dr. Genth, also, years ago, stated that a serpentine from the neighborhood of Patterson, Caldwell County, of a dark greenish-black color, admits of a fine polish.⁷



	EDENITE (SMAHAGDITE.) Smaragdite is a variety of hornblende (amphibole), which occurs plentifully at the Cullakenee Corundum Mine, Clay County, N. C. In color it is bright emerald to grass-green, also grayish and greenish-gray. Masses through which the pink and ruby corundum occur disseminated, are exceedingly beautiful. The mineral is hard enough to admit of a fine polish and is worthy of attention as an ornamental or decorative stone. It has recently been utilized for such purposes, under the name of " ruby matrix." Pieces are selected in which bright portions of red or pink corundum are enclosed in the rich green smaragdite, and the contrast makes a very attractive material. Smaragdite occurs also near Elf, on Shooting Creek, in the same county, similarly associated with corundum, pink and dark blue. LAZULITE. Lazulite is a somewhat rare mineral, a phosphate of alumina containing some magnesia and protoxide of iron. It occurs in pale and dark blue crystals and crystalline masses at Clubb Mountain and Crowder's Mountain, in Gaston Count}', and at Sauratown, in Stokes County. The finest crystals, however, come from Graves' Mountain, Georgia, some of them being as much as two inches in length. Its hardness is 6, and its specific gravity is 3.122. This mineral would make an opaque gem or an ornamental stone, as the color, though lighter, is often as rich as that of lapis lazuli, for which it was mistaken when first found.

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