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PRECIOUS STONES.
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811
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GOLD QUARTZ.
A
new variety of gold quartz from the Quartet mine, Searchlight, Nev.,
has been cut into small articles, such as watch charms, etc., by Mr.
William Petry, of Los Angeles, Cal. A small specimen, kindly sent to
the Survey by Mr. Petry, contained much bright yellow free gold in
irregularly shaped particles and flakes in and between the grains of
granular quartz. Most of the quartz appears bright green from the
presence of films and small masses of malachite between the grains.
The specimen also contained patches of purplish stains which could not
be identified. The combination of colors makes an attractive small
ornament, though the presence of malachite with quartz may give
trouble in producing a high polish.
JADE.
BURMA.
The production of jade (jadeite) in the Myitkyina district of Upper Burma during 1906 amounted to 2,214| hundred weight.3 This
was less than in 1905, owing to scarcity of labor. The exports of jade,
through Rangoon, however, were greater and amounted to 2,566
hundredweight, valued at £64,433, in 1906, as against 2,342
hundredweight, valued at £43,474, in 1905. In 1905 there was a further
export of 343 hundredweight, valued at £2,000, overland to China.
JASPER.
There
was a production of jasper in Colorado and southern California during
1907. Mrs. Gertrude S. McMullen, of the Southwest Turquoise Company, of
Los Angeles, mentions a vein of jasper in San Bernardino County, Cal,
from which a specimen was sent to the Survey. This deposit is owned by
the Cracker Jack Bonanza Gold Mining Company. The jasper has a dark-red
brown or liver color, and is mottled with many small gray streaks. The
mottled effect is due to a former brecciation of the jasper, with a
subsequent cementation by chalcedony. Some of this jasper has been
polished by the Southwest Turquoise Company, and furnishes handsome
small ornamental objects, though the color is rather dark and of course
the mineral is expensive to polish since it is so hard.
Good
jasper is known to occur in the eastern part of San Diego County, Cal.,
and from this region jasper was obtained during 1907. The Native Gem
Mining Company reports that abundant material can be obtained from its
mine. Mr. John F. Schwartz, of San Diego, describes some of the jasper
from Dulzura, San Diego County, as very handsome; but he makes the same
statement as do others who have handled the California jasper, that it
is so hard to cut as to render it doubtful whether the deposits will
be worked commercially.
Mr.
Louis J. Deacon describes the occurrence of smooth, water-worn pebbles
of brick-red, brown, and yellow jasper, associated with quartz pebbles
and occasional jet black flinty quartz, on the Delaware Bay beach at
Cape May, N. J. The occurrence is similar to that of the "pebble beach"
of Redondo, Cal. Both at Redondo and at
a Rec. Geol. Survey India, vol. 36, pt. 2,1907.
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