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PRECIOUS STONES.
835
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whitish
and pinkish clay of tallow-like consistency, or have only partly
decomposed and still contain kunzite of good color. Some of the
spodumene crystals were 6 to 12 inches thick and a yard or more long.
Part of the tourmaline in the pegmatite at the Caterina mine has a deep
indicolite blue to nearly black color.
Vanderburg mine.—The
Vanderburg claim lies on the east side and near the top of Hiriart
Mountain, and is probably on the same ledge as the Caterina. In the
open cut on the outcrop it is said a perfect kunzite crystal weighing
1$ pounds was found. A crosscut tunnel has been run in for a distance
of 150 feet, 35 feet below the outcrop, and good kunzite was found
where the ledge was cut. The latter appears to strike north with a
westerly dip and is possibly 35 feet thick.
Hiriart mine.—The
Hiriart mine is but a few hundred yards east of the Caterina mine. The
work consists of an open cut with a drift about 75 feet long. The
pegmatite ledge is from 2 to 4 feet thick and strikes N. 15° E. with a
dip 30° W. The crystallization of the minerals was in part
perpendicular to the walls of the "vein." The gem minerals are blue and
green with some pink tourmaline, associated with lepidolite, quartz,
and albite crystals.
RINCON.
Victor beryl mine.—The
Victor beryl mine is in a ravine just east of the little village in the
Rincon Indian Reservation. The pegmatite is about 6 feet thick and
strikes west of north with a dip of 45° W. The crystallization of the
pegmatite in the interior of the vein is quite coarse, and there are
many small pockets. These pockets contain smoky quartz and beryl, of
which part is handsome aquamarine. The vein has been worked by
stripping and removing for a distance of about 50 feet and to a depth
of 15 feet.
Mack mine.—The
Mack mine is on a hillside about a quarter of a mile south of the
Victor mine. The pegmatite ledge at this mine is about 12 feet thick,
strikes west of north, and dips about 50° E. There are pockets through
the whole vein, carrying lepidolite, albite, quartz, tourmaline,
garnet, kunzite, etc. There is a gem-bearing streak in the interior
which is richer than the remaining portion of the vein. The mine has
been worked by stripping off the hanging wall and by open work.
MESA GRANDE.
Himalaya mine.—The
Himalaya mine, about 3 miles northwest of Mesa Grande, is a remarkable
producer of tourmaline from a small vein. The pegmatite varies from 18
inches to 4 feet in thickness and has been traced several hundred
yards. It has a strike of' about N. 70° W., and a dip of over 20° SW.,
and cuts through a hill near the top. This vein has been worked by a
large amount of open cut with several drifts on the vein at different
levels. Part of the later work has been in a drift 300 feet long on the
north side of the hill. The ledge exposed in this tunnel had a marked
banded structure, consisting- of streaks 3 inches thick with black tourmaline crystals roughly perpendicular
to the walls on each side of a pegmatite band 18 inches thick and
containing pockets with pink gem and black tourmaline. Crystals of
quartz, feldspar, lepidolite, etc., are associated
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