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PRECIOUS STONES. 559
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examination.
It proved to be an octahedral crystal weighing 4-1/12 carats (828
milligrams), two-fifths of an inch long and one-fourth of an inch wide.
It measured 9 by 10 by 7 millimeters, is slightly yellow and has one
small black inclusion. The specific gravity was found to be 3.527.
Curious long, shallow pittings mark the surface. A stone of from l-1/12
to 2 carats could be cut from it.
Mr.
L. O. Stevens, of Atlanta, Georgia, has informed the writer that a
colored man called on him during the past year with a 2-carat diamond,
defective and of poor color, which he stated he had found in his garden
within a few miles of Atlanta. He has shown no desire to sell or lend
the stone for examination.
Zircon.—Opaque
green zircons in crystals 1 inch long and 1-1/2 inches wide, were found
by Mr. Nimms in Saint Lawrence county, New York, at the town of Fine.
They were curious, but not of gem value. Fully 25 tons of this mineral
will be raised during 1888, from Henderson county, Kentucky, for use in
a new incandescent gas-burner manufactured in Philadelphia.
Beryl.—Prof.
Eugene A. Smith obtained from Coosa county, Alabama, some light golden
yellow beryl of sufficient transparency to furnish small gems. Blue
green beryl that afforded fair gems was reported by Mr. William E.
Hidden, from Mitchell county, near the Yancey county line, North
Carolina.
Phenacite.—Dr.
S. L. Penfield describes phenacite from Topaz butte, 5 miles north of
Florissant and the same distance from Mount Autero, Colorado. Mr. W. B.
Smith describes the occurrence of topaz and phenacite at Topaz butte (American Journal of Science, February,
1887, III. Series, vol. 34, p. 130). An extensive find of phenacite
crystals (few of gem value, however,) associated with aquamarine
crystals, was made at Mount Antero, Colorado, in the fall of 1887. The
phenacites were almost quartzoids iu form. The occurrence is described
by the Eev. R. F. Cross, in a note in the American Journal of Science, February, 1887, p. 161, vol. 34.
Garnet.—A
variety of spessartite garnet was found at Amelia Court House,
Virginia, in masses several inches across, and dark brown, dark red, or
honey brown in color, which would afford cut gems from 1 to 10 carats
in weight. These are the finest specimens of this variety of garnet yet
found. Fully 1-1/2 tons of the almandite garnets of Salida, Colorado,
were found during the past year and sold as tourists' or mineral-ogical
specimens at from 30 cents to $1 a pound. One absolutely perfect
dodecahedron weighed over 14 pounds. In the proceedings of the "
Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences," 1886, p. 355, Dr. George
Koenig describes a titaniferous garnet from southwestern Colorado, and
also analysis of schorlomite from Magnet Cove, Arkansas, which he finds
to be titaniferous garnet.
Tourmaline.—A large number of green tourmalines, some quite stout and several inches in length, have been found at Franklin Furnace,
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