beauty
or size the wonderful crystals of brown tourmaline from Gouverneur, N.
Y. Many thousands of perfect crystals, measuring from 1 inch to 6
inches in length, doubly terminated, rich in modifications, but rarely
affording a gem over i carat, have been taken from this locality. One
of the finest is in the Root Collection, at Hamilton College; many fine
ones are in the Peabody Museum, New Haven, Conn. ; but the best series
of both varieties is in the cabinet of Clarence S. Bement, in
Philadelphia. At Richville, near De Kalb, N. Y., achroites (white
tourmalines) have been found in fine crystals. The choicest of these,
in the cabinet of Mr. Bement, is over 1 inch in length, and would cut
into a gem weighing over 10 carats. Crystals of brown tourmaline were
obtained by Charles E. Beecher, at Newcomb, Essex County, N. Y.
Portions of these crystals were very free from flaws, and material
enough was found to cut hundreds of gems weighing from i to 10 carats.
In the eupyrchroite locality, near Crawford, N. Y., William P. Blake
obtained beautiful transparent brown and light-brown tourmaline in
crystals large enough to cut gems of several carats' weight. A large
number of green tourmalines, some quite thick and several inches in
length, have been obtained at Franklin Furnace, Essex County, N. J.,
but, although they are an important addition to our mineralogical
collections, and the outer parts of some of the crystals are of a rich,
almost chrome green, not a single crystal has been found that would cut
a transparent gem of even 1 carat. Professor Genth mentions beautiful
light-yellow, brownish-yellow, and at times white crystals of
tourmaline, at Bailey's limestone quarry, East Marlborough, Pa. ;
yellow crystals at Logan's limestone quarry, West Marlborough ; brown
and light-yellow, which are at times transparent, at John Niven's
limestone quarry, New Garden Township; and green tourmaline in talc
near Rock Spring, Centre County. Specimens of black tourmaline as fine
as are ever obtained, are found near Leiperville, Delaware County, in
well terminated crystals, 5 inches in length and 1 1/2 inches thick ;
also at Marple Township, terminated with two low rhombohedra.
Flickr
Stumbleupon
Scribd
