presented
by Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan to the American Museum of Natural History,
Central Park, N. Y. This collection, which contains over one thousand
specimens of all the obtainable precious and ornamental stones native
to the United States, and some of the finest known examples of foreign
stones, was prepared with the assistance of the author by Messrs.
Tiffany & Co., and was exhibited, under his charge, at the World's
Fair held in Paris in 1889, before a larger number of people than were
ever before gathered within a given time at any one place. (See Colored
Plate 1, Figs. E and H ; Plate 3, Figs F and K ; Plate 5, Fig. D ;
Plate 6, Fig. C ; Plate 7, Fig. B.) It occupied a circular case in the
center of the American Section, and, with the collection of pearls
found in North America, gained the award of two gold medals. The
collection, of which a catalogue was published,1 was a
central point of attraction in the exhibit, was visited by leading
scientists, lapidaries, stone-workers, and decorators, as well as the
general public.
Among
benefits resulting from the New Orleans Exposition held 1884-1885 was
the appropriation to the United States Museum to perfect its exhibit
there. This money was expended by Prof. Frank W. Clarke, the curator in
mineralogy, in the purchase of a very complete series of precious and
ornamental stones, many of which are of great value from an
educational point of view. Since the Exposition, numerous fine
specimens have been added by purchase and donation, notably the 171
diamonds and 150 pearls presented by the Imam of Muscat to President
Van Buren, all of which are of good quality. The collection now numbers
about a thousand specimens, and includes examples of almost every
known variety of precious stones, many of them being remarkably good
specimens.
At
the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, New York, are the Curium
gems, brought by Gen. Luigi P. di Cesnola from the island of Cyprus.
Some of these were described in his volume on Cyprus, * and are on
exhibition with the Cesnola Collection.
1 Catalogue of a Collection of Precious and Ornamental Stones of North America, p. 32, 8vo, New York, 1889.
8 Researches and Discoveries in Cyprus. (New York, 1878.)
