from
Russia. A number of fancy articles have been made from it. At Ducktown,
Tennessee, some fine radiated masses have been found that would polish
well.
At
the Jones mine, Berks county, Pennsylvania, very dark green and finely
mottled malachite was found that would cut into fine gems over 2 inches
across. Some very fine specimens from here are in the cabinet of Mr. W.
W. Jefferis. The material from this locality equals any from Russia,
but the supply is very limited.
Malachite
is found in North Carolina in Guilford, Cabarrus, and Mecklenburg
counties. At Silver Hill and Conrad Hill, in Davidson county, the
fibrous variety has been observed, and at a number of other localities
in the State, but rarely of any gem value. In the United States
subtreasury, in New York City, are a few fine gem pieces of malachite
from the Copper Knob mine in Ashe county, North Carolina.
Chrysocolla.—A
beautiful compact chrysocolla, mixed with quartz, is found at the
Allouez mine, Houghton, Lake Superior region. Some of the specimens
would furnish fine, rich, bluish-green gems one-half inch square.
Beautiful
specimens, botryoidal and massive, greenish blue in color, have been
found at the Jones mine, near Morgantown, Berks county, Pennsylvania;
and a fine specimen from some Arizona locality, coated with chalcedony,
made some beautiful gems when the chalcedony was polished, allowing the
botryoidal chrysocolla to show through. In one case these markings
resemble a human head.
Anthracite is
used to some extent as jewelry, being carved and turned into small
trinkets, such as compass cases, boots, hearts, anchors, and other
small charms. It could readily be made into beads and round ornaments
to be used for scarf pins, lace pins, bracelets, etc., in the same way
as jet. It is also turned into cups, saucers, vases, candlesticks, and
paper weights, and is carved by hand into a variety of small ornaments.
The objects made often have one or more ridges of the rough coal, the
other portions being highly polished, thus making a striking contrast.
Most of the anthracite is worked at Mountain Top, near Glen Summit,
Lucerne county, Pennsylvania. The material used is obtained at the
Franklin mine at Ashley, the Spring Tunnel mine at Summit Hill, and at
Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. These articles are sold at Scranton, Wilkes
Barre, Pittston, Mauch Chunk, and at the Summit Hill station on the
Switchback railroad. From $2,500 to $3,000 worth of these anthracite
objects are sold annually.
Catlinite or pipestone.—Catlinite,
which is found in such large quantities in the Upper Missouri region,
and especially in Pipestone county, Minnesota, is worked into a large
variety of ornamental pipes, that are sold at from 75 cents or $1 each
to as much as $5 and $10; at times as high even as $20 for very large
pieces of carving. They are made in a variety of forms, mainly to sell
readily, such as tomahawks with the pipe bowl in the back, and often
pipes from 10 to 24 inches long have
