usually
colorless, light pink, light blue, bluish pink, light golden, and
sections show the characteristic variety of color, such as blue and
pink, green and pink, when viewed through the end of the crystal. Some
of the faintly-colored crystals afforded gems that were considerably
darker after the cutting.
During
the last summer the north side of this locality has been worked by Mr.
G. C. Hatch and Mr. T. F. Lamb, and much darker material has been
found, especially the green colors, some of which equal anything found
at Mount Mica. Rude black crystals were observed here 8 inches in
diameter and 12 feet long, and at times inclosing quartzite. Several
specimens were almost emerald color, and would afford gems. This
promises well to afford fine gems for some time to come, as well as the
Mount Mica locality.
Mr.
Lucien Holmes, of Standish, Maine, found crystals of green, red, and
blue tourmaline on the Hussey farm, but they were not of gem quality,
although very good as crystals. As little work has been done, this
locality might improve by development. The specimens at Bates College,
Lewiston, labelled "Baldwin," are supposed to have been found at this
locality.
During
the last year Mr. E. G. Bailey and Dr. A. C. Hamlin have opened the
Mount Black locality at Rumford and Andover, Maine. The indications
here are quite good for gems, and a quantity of rubellite, a great
quantity of lepidolite, spodumene 3 feet long, cookite, ambly-gonite,
and other minerals similar to those of the Mount Mica, were taken out,
none however of gem quality.
The
tourmaline mentioned in Hamlin's " Tourmaline," page 72, was found
about 1860, by Augustus Lane, at Welcome's Corner, on the Boutelle
farm. This specimen was first recognized by Dr. Hoar. The locality is
about half a mile from the Hatch farm, and the indications were found
by Dr. Hamlin on working, in 1860 and 1862, to be the same as at the
Hatch farm.
The
localities in Maine that have furnished fine tourmalines are Mount Mica
at Paris, two localities at Auburn, Hebron, Norway, Mount Black in
Andover and Rumford, as well as the Standish locality; the two latter
have furnished no gems.
Some
of the finest of the cut rubellites and green tourmalines are in the
possession of Prof. C. U. Shepard and members of his family. One of the
most magnificent known green tourmalines is one, the color of which is
described by Professor Shepard as of a chrysolite-green, and having a
blue tinge, while less yellow and more green than chrysolite. It is 1
inch long, ยง inch broad, and 1 inch thick, and finer than any of the
Hope gems. One fine rubellite of two-thirds this size, and equally
tine, one pink topaz one half this size, and one remarkable rubellite
the size of the large green tourmaline, are also in possession of this
family.
The Hamlin cabinet (a), the first crystal of which was found in 1820,
a See "The Tourmaline," by A. C. Hamlin,
