In
this were some of the finest Forth Carolina quartzes, from White Plains
and other localities; remarkably brilliant rutiles from Mitchell and
Alexander counties; beautiful amethysts, some of them rutilated; some
remarkable Alexander county emeralds, and blue, green, and yellow
beryls, and many others that as a rule were quite new to the general
public as gem minerals.
Delusive finds.—During
the past year a number of articles have appeared in regard to the
finding of valuable gems, which have proved otherwise on investigation;
and as newspaper statements are at times copied into the literature, it
may be well to give them notice from some reliable source.
The
"Blue Ridge sapphire," or the "Georgia marvel," as it was called by the
press, was found nearly two years ago in a brook in Georgia, in the
Blue Ridge mountains. It was estimated to be worth about $50,000 by the
owner, who had been assured of its authenticity as a sapphire by two
southern jewelers, and arrived at its valuation by taking into account
its weight. Anything scratched by a file is sure to be pronounced
glass, whether that or really topaz or some equally bard stone; while,
on the other hand, the common fallacy may prevail that anything not
touched by a file is to be regarded as a genuine stone, even though it
may be only glass. In this instance the gem proved to be a piece of
rolled blue bottle glass, and its owner could be convinced of this only
when he saw a platinum wire coated with a melted fragment of the
material.
Another
was a stone plowed up by Mr. James M. Smith, of Gibson-ville, Guilford
county, North Carolina, pronounced a genuine* emerald, weighing 9
ounces, by some local expert, who tested it, and with the microscope
showed that it contained various small diamonds. Its value was
estimated up in the thousands, and $1,000 was reported to have been
refused for it by its owner. As it was believed to be the largest known
emerald, it was expected by its owner that it would realize him many
thousands. Being therefore too valuable to be intrusted to the express
company, he put himself to the expense of a trip to New York, where it
proved on examination to be a greenish quartz crystal, filled with
long, hairlike crystals of green byssolite or actinolite, on which were
series and strings of small liquid cavities that, glistening in the
sun, led to the included diamond theory of the local expert. As $5 was
the best otter received for the stone, it was returned to North
Carolina,
The
" Wetumpka ruby," from Elmore county, Alabama, the property of Mr.
James W. Thomas, was supposed to be a ruby of 6 ounces' weight "after
cutting away all the roughness." Owing to its value, it was deposited
in the Wetumpka bank vault, and on no consideration would be sent to
anyone on approbation. A small fragment sent to Mr. L. P. Gratacap, of
New York, and examined by him, led him to believe that it was only a
common garnet, and from its stated quality of no value,
