AMERICAN GEMS AND PRECIOUS STONES, (a)
By Geo. F. Kunz.
In
the United States, systematic mining for gems and precious stones is
being carried on at only two places, viz., Paris, Maine, and Stony
Point, North Carolina. In other cases where gems are found they are
either met with accidentally, or occur in connection with other
materials that are being mined, or in small veins which are only
occasionally met with. They are often gathered with little system on
the surface, as is the ease with the sapphire, garnet, and olivine
found in Montana and Sew Mexico; or from the beds of streams and
decomposing rock, as
a
This paper is the result of an .application by Mr. Williams to Messrs.
Tiffany & Co., of New York City, for the purpose of obtaining
certain facts relative to the gems tnd precious stones of the United
States. I may here state that whatever information is presented is due
to the usual courtesy and generosity of that firm, whenever ;cey can
assist in advancing science or art, in placing at my disposal not only
all the acts and material at their command, but also the time required
by me in collecting whatever other existing data there might be
relative to this subject. In view of the ittle that has been published
and the paucity of reliable facts, it is hoped that the leiicieneies in
this article may be overlooked.—G. F. K.
