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1046
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MINERAL RESOURCES.
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in
some quantity in Siskiyou County and Butte County, and some of it
contains a few emerald-green spots. The green californite from Siskiyou
County is not greatly different in color from jade used for earrings by
the Chinese and is mottled with similar patches of green.
CHRYSOPRASE. CALIFORNIA.
In
the description of the chrysoprase deposits of Tulare County, Cal., in
this report for 1909, a prospect of the Himalaya Mining Co. near
Lindsay was mentioned in connection with the notes on that company's
mine, three-fourths of a mile north of town. This prospect was
examined in 1911. It is in the top of a low hill about a mile S. 70° E.
of Lindsay. The hill is about one-third of a mile long in a N. 25° W.
direction. It rises about 60 feet above the plains at the ends and is
lower in the middle. Several small prospect pits and trenches had been
made, chiefly at the north end of the hill, but little gem chrysoprase
was found. The occurrence is similar to that of the other deposits.
Jaspery and cherty serpentine heavily stained with yellow and red iron
oxides outcrops along each end of the hill in rough ledges and masses.
Fine-grained diorite forms the west central portion of the hill. The
jaspery serpentine is cut in many directions by seams and veinlets of
chalcedony and fine-grained chai-cedonic quartz, ranging from paper
thickness to 2 or 3 inches thick. In some of these veinlets there was a
slight tint of green, but no chrysoprase was observed. Veinlets of
greenish and yellowish-green opal are also plentiful through the
jaspery serpentine.
The
production of chrysoprase in 1911 came from the mine of the Himalaya
Mining Co., 8 miles southeast of Porterville, and from some of the
deposits on Venice Hill, 8 miles east of Visalia. Some high-grade gem
material was obtained at each locality. A quantity of low-grade
chrysoprase and some chrysopal are obtained during mining. These are
generally shipped to Germany for cutting.
ARIZONA.
The
occurrence of chrysoprase about 20 miles west of Mineral Park, in
Mohave County, Ariz., was mentioned in this report for 1908. The
deposits are owned by John L. Riggs and Walker Bros., of Chloride. The
occurrence is quite different from the California localities.
Specimens sent by Mr. Riggs were decomposed fine-grained rhyolite
porphyry with small quartz phenocrysts and perlitic volcanic glass
country rock. Associated minerals of the chrysoprase were black flint,
red and brown jasper, gray and white chalcedony, and quartz. Some of
the specimens were brecciated and contained fragments of chrysoprase.
So far high-grade gem material has not been found, but the brecciated
matrix containing chrysoprase would furnish unusual and attractive gems
for the tourist and souvenir trade. Large lumps of rather granular
opaque chrysoprase have been found which could bo cut into small
ornaments.
The
so-called "blue chrysoprase," or copper-stained chalcedony, from the
Keystone and Live Oak copper mines near Miami, Ariz., was described in
this report for 1909. Very little of this material is now obtained from
the mines, as the workings have been carried
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