annuallv, but both the demand aud the supply have latterly declined.— A.W.,jr.]
Amethyst.—Amethyst
has been found on Deer Hill, at Stowe, in a vein fully one-quarter of a
mile long, and at other places in Oxford county, Maine; Chester county,
Pennsylvania; in Colorado and Virginia and other regions, although not
affording as large fine gems as the Brazilian or the Siberian. It is
not used except for mineralogical gem collections. There are a great
many amethyst crystal groups sold to tourists and collectors, and the
sales from this source may amount to from $1,500 to $2,000 per annum.
Sagenite.—Sagenite, "rutile in quartz," "fleche d'amour," or
"Venus's hair stone," is found at many localities in the United States.
The principal supply comes from Iredell, Alexander, and other counties
in North Carolina. The rich red, golden yellow, brown, and intervening
shades are often cut into oval seals and charms for use as jewelry. The
stone gives a very pleasing effect by sun or gaslight. The quantity
used annually will amount to over $250 as gems, and as much more for
mineral specimens.
Thetis hair stone.—Thetis
hair stone, near Sneach Pond at Cumber-laud, Rhode Island, is
occasionally met with in fair pieces, and is used to a limited extent
in jewelry, probably less than $100 per annum.
Hornblende
in quartz is found at Diamond Hill, Ehode Island, and is used to some
extent in jewelry, principally in the cheaper grades. The amount used
annually is probably worth about $500.
Agate and chalcedony.—Agate
and chalcedony are found in a great many localities in America. Among
them may be named Agate bay, Lake Superior, .where large numbers of
small banded agates, usually of a red color, are found. These are quite
extensively cut and are sold to tourists who visit Lake Superior. Some
fine large agates are found in different parts of Colorado and through
the Rocky mountains, many of them very beautiful; though only a small
proportion are cut or polished, owing to the cheapness of the agates
from Brazil and Uraguay, which are cut and sold at so much lower rates
in Germany. Nearly all the polished agate specimens sold in America are
from the German market. Possibly $2,000 worth of American agates are
sold annually. Moss agate.—Of all the American stones used in
jewelry there is no other which is sold so cheaply, and of which so
much is sold, as the moss agate. Those found in the brooks and streams
called "river Kates" are the most desirable. Nearly all are sent abroad
for cutting and then most of them are returned for home use. When this
stone was fashionable fine ones were worth from $10 upwards, and as
many as $20,000 worth were sold a year, but at present they are used
only in cheap aud tourists' jewelry'. The principal sources of supply
are Utah, Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming Territory. . At present the
moss agates collected amount to about $12,000 to $15,000 worth per
annum, and the demand is declining.
