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GEMS AND PRECIOUS STONES.
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1027
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localities
have been reported. Two prospects were visited on the land of the
Misses Eendleman, 2 miles northeast of Iron Station. One of these is
about 200 yards south of the old Rendleman home along the east side and
on the spur of a small ridge. A few small pits have been dug, but the
best specimens observed were loose in the sandy soil of a cultivated
field. The crystals were found through a distance of about 100 yards in
a north-south direction. The biotite granite gneiss country rock has
mostly decomposed to a friable sandy gray saprolite, but around the
amethyst prospects it has been hardened by sificification. This process
has developed numerous seams and veinlets of quartz crystals, with comb
structure through the rock. Some of the larger veinlets carry
amethystine quartz and amethyst. Of the crystals found at the time of
examination some were pale purple and others a smoky purple. The
latter consisted in part of smoky quartz and in part of amethyst, with
the different colors generally arranged in layers or zones parallel to
the crystal faces. Such specimens furnish good examples of "ghost" or
"phantom" crystals. Clear and smoky quartz crystals are also found
loose in the soil about 100 feet west of the amethyst lead.
The
other and more promising prospect on the Rendleman place is about a
quarter of a mile southeast of the house, on a low rocky knoll in a
cultivated field. No digging has been done and only surface specimens
were seen. The crystals are scattered over an area about 150 feet
across, in which no direction of a lead could be determined. The
country rock is decomposed granite, but the knoll on which the
amethysts are found is covered with rough blocks of silicified granite.
Evidently the occurrence of amethyst is connected with this
suicifica-tion, as at the other prospect, for in some specimens
groupings of amethyst crystals are associated with the seams of smaller
quartz crystals in the silicified granite. Amethystine quartz crystals
measuring 3 inches across were found and specimens more than 1 inch
thick were common. A few amethysts of medium dark purple color were
seen, but the majority were pale. Some of the crystals are fairly clear
and would be suitable for gems if darker colored.
A
small prospect was opened for amethysts several years ago on the land
of J. P. Lynch, If miles northeast of Iron Station. The pit is now
filled up, but a few pale amethysts were found in the sandy soil at
that place and other specimens were seen in the possession of Mr.
Lynch. The amethysts were associated with silicified granite, as at the
.Rendleman prospects. A slab of this rock covered with pale amethysts
and quartz crystals, some of them half an inch tliick, in the
possession of Mr. Lynch, showed that the mineral occurs here lining the
walls of a fissure or other cavity. Groups of much larger crystals were
found, also. Some of the amethystine quartz crystals are clear and
brilliant.
A
quantity of smoky quartz crystals and clusters of crystals measuring 2
inches or less in diameter are found on the place of George W. Goodson,
about 5 miles north of east of Iron station. So far as known no
amethysts have been found here.
A few amethystine and colorless quartz crystals were seen on the place of Miss Mary Forney, about 1\ miles
southwest of Denver. The crystals were found loose in the soil of a
cultivated field about 250 yards north of the old Forney home. No work
has been done, and probably most of the surface crystals have been
picked up.
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