the
trap at Shiloh Church. On the road to Charlotte, Mecklenburg county,
and near Bakerville, on Toe river, specimens showing a slight blue
chatoyancy are also found.
Rockport,
Massachusetts, formerly afforded many finely colored pieces of
amazonstone. Some fine green crystals have also been found at Paris,
Maine, and at Mount Desert material that will cut into fair gems is
occasionally met with.
One large, fine light green crystal, over 6 inches long, was found near Amelia Court House, at the microlite locality.
On
the John Smith farm, Middletown, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, many
shades of green feldspar, passing into the cassinite and delawarite,
are found in the soil in loose bowlders up to 20 inches in diameter.
Elaolite.—The
elaeolite of Gardiner and Litchfield, Maine, would admit of a very
good polish, and at times the color is greenish and would look quite
well. Some of the Salem, Massachusetts, variety would also do for this
purpose.
Leopardite.—A
compact variety of orthoclase, which is spotted with hydrated
sesquioxide of manganese, called leopardite(a), is abundantly found
near Charlotte, Mecklenburg county, and also in Gaston county, North
Carolina. It is a variety of porphyry with crystals of disseminated
quartz. This material is found in large masses and would furnish a good
ornamental stone if polished. It would also furnish material for a
cheap gem stone.
Moonstone.—At
Van Arsdale's quarry(b) near Feisterville, Bucks county, Pennsylvania,
orthoclase is found in crystals from one-half to 2 inches in length,
usually, however, in cleavage masses of gray or gray ish-black colors,
which show the blue chatoyancy, as well as many varieties of labrador
spar, and make a very fine variety of moonstone.
The
albite occurring in such beautiful specimens at Mineral hill, near
Media, in Middletown, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, shows the blue
chatoyancy remarkably well, and is there called " moonstone." It might
well be, and is doubtlessly rightfully classed under this head, since
the appearance differs so slightly from an orthoclase moonstone, and it
is the effect that really gives it its name.
The
greenish-gray granular albite or oligoclase found in the serpentine at
the magnesia quarries, West Nottingham township, Chester county,
Peunsylvania, shows a faint blue moonstone luster.
The
beautiful feldspar found by Mr. W. W. Jefferis, with the sun-stone at
Pearce's paper mill, shows the blue chatoyancy equal to any labrador
spar. It may be the latter or oligoclase (?). The finest examples of
this mineral from an American locality, very closely resembling the
Ceylon in quality, transparency, and color, have been lately found
a "Minerals and Mineral Localities of North Carolina," Genth and Kerr, page f;l. b " Preliminary report on the Mineralogy of Pennsylvania," page 89.
