Mount
Mica, Paris, Me., in masses of 50 to 200 pounds ; at Hebron and
Norway, more recently at Auburn, and also at Mount Black, Rumford, Me.,
ranging from rose-pink through a variety of shades of pink-lavender to
heliotrope color. As this mineral is used abroad to some extent for
ornaments, such as dishes, vases, paper-weights, etc., the similar
utilization of the American variety is suggested. This variety, like
the lepidolite of Rozena, Moravia, contains crystals of rubellite. At
Rumford the association is almost identical and the mixture can be as
easily polished or worked as the former.
Pink,
lavender, and purple scapolite, in compact masses 3 or 4 inches square,
is found at Bolton, Mass., that will polish nicely and form a neat
ornamental stone.
Cancrinite,
sodalite, and elaeolite are occasionally fine enough to be used as gems
and ornamental stones. These minerals are found at Litchfield and South
Litchfield, Me., in boulders varying in weight from a few pounds to
many tons, that lie scattered over the ground for a distance of about
four miles. One mile and a half west of this line, across a pond in
West Gardner, these minerals are found associated with zircon, as in
South Litchfield. In West Gardner are ledges of rocks which are
believed to be the source of these boulders. The color of cancrinite
varies from bright orange-yellow to pale yellow. There are three
distinct types of this mineral, the bright orange-yellow, cleavable and
transparent, in thin fragments; the pale yellow, not cleavable ; and
the bright yellow, granular, which is the commonest form. These
varieties all have been polished to some extent by collectors.
Associated with cancrinite is found a bluish-colored mineral, which
Prof. Frank W. Clarke has shown to be a mixture of cancrinite and
elaeolite. The sodalite found occurs in seams from i inch to 2 inches
in thickness, and varies from violet to a deep azure-blue. This mineral
when polished is almost as beautiful as lapis lazuli and it has been
found in sufficient quantity to give it some gem importance. Hexagonal
crystals of bright yellow cancrinite occasionally penetrate the deepest
blue sodalite, forming an exceedingly beautiful stone when polished.
Lapis lazuli has not been found in North America, though it occurs extensively in the Andes Mountains of South America.
