122 GEMS AND PRECIOUS STONES IN THE
being
produced by chloritic inclusions. When a crystal was cut between the
lines of growth, it formed an interesting ornamental stone.
Novaculite
is a fine, compact, sandstone-like substance, found in large pieces at
Hot Springs, Ark., and employed to a limited extent for cutting into
figures, such as birds, for jewelry. It is extensively used for
whetstones, which have a world-wide reputation as "Washita whetstones."
Its compactness and the purity of its white color make it a very pretty
ornamental stone and it ought to be used for this purpose.
The
true silicified corals found at Schoharie, N. Y., along the Catskills,
and in many other localities in the United States, form very pretty gem
stones. Some that are similar to the so-called fossil palm-wood from
India have been observed in a few localities in New York State. One
very interesting black silicious coral form with large white markings
was found at Cat-skill, N. Y.; when cut across the large white columnar
lines, the effect was very pleasing and ornamental.
The
finest chrysoprase in the United States is found in a vein of
serpentine in the nickel mines at Nickel Mount, near the town of
Riddles, Douglas County, Ore. Here it occurs in veins over an inch
thick in the nickel ore, and would furnish stones of a rich green color
several inches square. In his treatise on quartz and opal, Traill
mentions chrysoprase from Newfane, Vt., but Prof. James D. Dana
identifies this mineral as green quartz and not chrysoprase, although
it was so-called in the locality where it was found. A fine
green-colored variety intermixed with black hornblende, that would
afford gems an inch across, was found in Macon County, N. C. Thomas
Taber mentions' in a letter to Dr. C. A. Lee the occurrence of
chrysoprase in Chester County, Pa., without giving any description of
its quality, though one would infer that it was of gem quality, since
Mr. Taber was a jeweler. Dr. Frederic M. Endlich mentions chrysoprase
as of rare occurrence in Middle Park, Col. William Irelan, Jr., reports
from Tulare County, Cal., beautiful semi-transparent chrysoprase of
fine color, and Beck, in his " Mineralogy of New York " (Albany,
1842), describes fine specimens of chalcedony and chryso-
1 Am. J. Sci., Vol. 38, p. 61, Oct., 1839.
