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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
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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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