INTRODUCTION.
The
year 1905 made a record for the importation of precious stones of every
variety. This importation was attended by prosperity in every branch of
the jewelry business, the sales ranging from the richest gems to those
of the poorest qualities, and even to every known form of imitation.
This record was achieved notwithstanding the Russo-Japanese war. and
was due to general prosperity.
The
discovery of utahlite, a green variscite, translucent, golden-green in
color, and used as a gem and decorative stone, at a new locality 40
miles southwest from Salt Lake City. 8 or 9 miles west of
Stockton, 20 miles northwest of Mercur. and 25 miles northwest of the
other utahlite locality in Utah, promises to furnish a quantity of this
peculiarly American stone that may be used in ' semibarbaric jewelry or
where a rich but not precious stone is desired.
In
the search for and the mining of tourmaline, beryl, topaz, kunzite, and
other stones peculiar to the southern counties of California, some
wonderful crystals of rose-colored beryl implanted on feldspar and many
fine crystals of tourmaline (red and green) are found, and in
connection with these occur many specimens of great interest to the science of mineralogy. The region bids fair to excel
that of the Ural Mountains, which for more than half a century has led
the world in such products. So great has been the interest in
California gems and their mining that the State mineralogist, the Hon.
Lewis E. Aubury, requested tlie writer to prepare an illustrated report
on the finding, the history, and the cutting of the precious stones of
California, with a description of its mines. This volume, numbering l30
pages, illustrated with many plates, is now being issued by the California Bureau of Mines in San Francisco.
In
the State of Maine, during 1005, prospecting and slight working was
done for gems at Mount Mica, Paris. Auburn, Newry, Mount Black,
Rumford, and other mining localities. But only a few gems, tourmalines,
were found, and their total value did not exceed a few thousand dollars.
The
turquoise mines of New Mexico and Arizona have not been as productive
as formerly, hut those of California and Nevada have been more so.
Rose quartz from the Black Hills
of South Dakota has been cut in great quantity in the form of beads, in
Germany, and has been sold over the entire world in competition with
rich green aventurine with its sparkling specks of mica.
Amethyst,
topaz, malachite, lapis lazuli, amazon stone from Amelia County, Va..
and a great variety of stones of all quaint colors have been in greater
demand than in 1904. The topaz sold is generally the variety known as "
Saxon " or " Spanish " topaz. It is in reality the result of the
decolorization
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