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GEMS AND PRECIOUS STONES.
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1039
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other bushes. The shrubbery was represented by black dendrites 5 to 9 millimeters high.
The
best specimen was an elongated stone cut "en cabochon," 73 millimeters
long, 20 millimeters wide, and 5 millimeters thick, portraying many
wooded islands scattered through a lake or other body of
water—"Thousand Islands," as suggested by several persons who examined
the stone. This stone is valued at $250. A slight banding of the agate
heightened the resemblance to water and also added a slight cloud
effect to the landscape. The fine quality of this gem was best brought
out by viewing in transmitted light, though its great beauty was
evident in reflected light. The scene was similar and very perfect
viewed from either side of the stone. • This gem would make a unique
and beautiful brooch or would grace the collection of any museum in
which it might be placed.
The
gems cut from the Montana moss agate or mocha stone command good
prices, bringing anywhere from §1 to $200 or S300 apiece. Some of the
smaller stones suitable for stick pins, if the mossy or fernlike
patterns are particularly delicate and beautiful, bring $25 apiece.
Large quantities of agate are cut which yield less attractive gems, and
stones as fine as those described above are rare. The value of such
gems as have been described lies in the fact that they can not be
duplicated.
CALIFORNIA.
Specimens
resembling the St. Stephen stone variety of agate from a new locality
15 miles east of Indian Springs, San Bernardino County, have been
examined. This stone has been called " myrickite" locally and a
quantity has has been cut and sold for good prices. It has been
obtained from a shallow shaft in a "malpais" lava hill where it occurs
in bunches and small masses. It consists of translucent gray chalcedony
through which bright blood-red spots and patches of color are
irregularly distributed. In some specimens the red is thinly scattered
through the agate and in others it is abundant. The majority of the red
markings are irregular patches or tangled stringlike masses, but some
are more or less round spots as in St. Stephen stone. The polished gems
with the peculiar patterns of brilliant red in translucent chalcedony
are highly attractive.
Specimens
of copper-stained chalcedony from the south end of Death Valley, 5
miles west of the south end of the Mesquite Mountains, and of
amethystine chalcedony about 8 miles south of this locality have been
examined. The copper-stained variety is translucent and incloses spots
and patches of blue and greenish-blue copper salts. The effect in some
specimens is similar to that of the blue chrysoprase from Miami, Ariz.
This chalcedony contains frequent small crystal-lined cavities so that
careful selection would be necessary to secure material for cutting.
The amethystine chalcedony is rather cloudy violet colored and massive
and has a moderately even texture. It would cut into rather pretty
low-priced gems.
UTAH.
Specimens
of red jasper-like chalcedony and quartz have been received from a
locality near San Rafael River, in Emery County, Utah. Much of this
would be called chalcedony and agate or car-nelian, but portions are so
heavily impregnated with iron oxide as to
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