of
the smoky quartz found in Spain, Brazil, and Colorado, and according to
the amount of unexpelled color, it is straw-colored, amber-yellow, or
rich reddish-brown. So much demand has existed for the true Brazilian
yellow topaz and the pink topaz, the latter produced by heating the
Brazilian yellow, that the opening of the original mines at Ouro Preto
in Brazil is under discussion.
A
novelty in the gem line has been the cutting of the chrysoprasc. so
extensively found at Yisalia. Tulare County, Cal. in its iron-brown
and dark-brown matrix, which forms a pleasing contrast to the
golden-green color of the chrysoprase.
Highly
colored gems, green, red. yellow, and purple, have been in great
demand, so much so that many thousands of peridots of Ariz ma origin
have been cut. and many times more of those from Egypt. This is equally
true of the California tourmalines, pink and red. and also of those
from the T'rals and from Madagascar and Brazil. So great has been the
demand for amethyst that the remainder of the great finds in Brazil, in
1900, and also stones from every available source have been cut,
frequently into pear-shaped and diamond-shaped stones.
The
emerald is still the gem in evidence. At no time has it received so
high appreciation as to price. It is more than ever in demand, for the
supply has been only in part sustained by the yield of the mines in the
United States of Colombia. Part of the gems have been cut in the United
States from the rough stones shipped directly to. the firms doing the
cutting. Many of the finest gems were undoubtedly taken from old jewels
by the owners on the inducement of the high prices obtained.
The
pearl is in as great favor as ever. The English Government has
published the results of the investigations of the exports who have
studied the life history of the pearl oyster, its parasites, its
enemies, and the methods of further increasing its production. The
present demand is causing a drain upon the Ceylon pearl banks, which
have always yielded so great a revenue.
Within
the last two years, and with the introduction of Louis XV and Louis XVI
designs in jewelry, there has been immense improvement in lapidary work
in the United States in every variety of stone. Xo better lapidary work
has ever been done at any period, and every intricate form of cutting
and polishing such gems as aquamarines, tourmalines, peridots, kunzite.
amethyst, and similar stones has been employed, including not only the
round but the oblong, hexagonal, octagonal, marquise, pear-shaped, and
other forms set with borders of small brilliants. There has been
especial preference for many of the larger stones; and never have
aquamarines, tourmalines, and amethysts been sold in such profusion.
Probably $100,000 worth of aquamarines from the Brazilian locality
found two years ago have been used.
DIAMOND. UNITED STATES.
There
are four regions where diamonds have been met with in the United
States. These are (1) Hie Pacific coast, chiefly along the western base
of the Sierra Xevada. in the central counties of California, associated
with gold in the cement gravels; (2) along the line of the moraine of
the ancient ice sheet in Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio; these
have been transported from an undiscovered source, presumably somewhere
in Canada; (3) Kentucky and Tennessee; (4) the Atlantic States from
Virginia to Alabama, chiefly along the eastern base of the Appalachians
in what is known as the Piedmont region. The actual place of origin of
the diamonds is in all these cases unknown. Those
