equal
in quality and beauty to the Russian rhodonite, which is made into
vases and also table-tops and mantels. This material has recently been
used very effectively in combination with unpolished or stone-finished
silver, as handles for very fine ornaments, the rose-color streaked
with black affording a pleasing contrast. Its hardness is only 6.5, but
it is nearly as tough as jade. In Russia it is largely used as a gem
and ornamental stone for jewelry, jewel caskets, tables, mantels, and
altars and pillars of churches.
Enstatite
and bronzite occur in many localities in the United States. The best
varieties are found half a mile west of Texas, Pa., in beautiful
massive foliated varieties. Bronzite was observed by Prof. Frederick A.
Genth, in Pennsylvania, near Crump's serpentine quarry ; near Media, in
Middletown Township ; in Marple Township, forming the mass of country
rock; in Newtown Township; and near Radnor, Delaware County. Bronzite
and enstatite are also found in large quantities at Bare Hills, near
Baltimore, Md. If cut across the fibres, it shows a cat's-eye effect,
but it is not fine enough to furnish gems for commerce.
A
very interesting form of wollastonite, found by C. D. Nimms near
Bonaparte Lake, Lewis County, N. Y., is described by Dr. Samuel L.
Penfield. It occurs in distinct crystals and in all gradations to the
fibrous form, and varies in color from a white to a faint yellowish
pink. It has nearly the toughness and hardness of jadeite, and might be
mistaken for Chinese jade.
Crocidolite
was observed by Joseph Wilcox in long, delicate fibres of a blue color,
in one of the western counties of North Carolina. Theodore D. Rand
found a dark-bluish fibrous mineral at the Falls of the Schuylkill, and
T. W. Roepper found it at Coopersburgh, Lehigh County, Pa., associated
with white and brownish-white garnet and bluish-white crystalline
fibrous coatings, which may belong here. It also occurs at Eland
Fountain, Orange County, N. Y. Prof. Albert H. Chester, of Hamilton
College, published analyses of the crocidolite from Beacon Hill
Cumberland, R. I., a very interesting variety of this mineral though
not in gem form.1 It has not been found in gem form in
1 See Am. J. Sci. III., Vol. 34, p. 108, Aug., 1887.
