A feature of South African diamond mining during 1912 was the absorption of the Voorspoed x diamond mine, in Orange River Colony, by the De Beers Consolidated Mines.
GERMAN SOUTHWEST AFRICA.
The production of diamonds in German Southwest Africa 2 for the year ended March 31, 1912, amounted to 766,465 carats, which were sold for $4,712,831, as compared with 792,642 carats, sold for $4,888,279, in 1911". The production from April 1 to September 30, 1912, was large and amounted to 439,261 carats, sold for $2,837,531 A shortage of labor in the German Southwest Africa mines has been in part rilled by importation of "Cape bays."
EMERALD.
NORTH CAROLINA.
The emerald mine near Shelby,- N. C, described in these reports for 1909, 1910, and 1911, has been acquired by the Emerald Co. of America, with office in New York City. The property was formerly knowTi as the Turner emerald mine, but is now called the "Old Plantation mine." This name and that of "Cotton boll pit" for the principal opening allude to the location and discovery of the mine in a cotton field on the Turner plantation.
The discovery of this emerald deposit was made in 1909, but the presence of emeralds in the region has been known for some years. George L. English, of Shelby, N. C, endeavored unsuccessfully to locate the source of two emeralds reported to have been found on the Border farm, about 1 mile east of Turner's, some 18 years ago. George F. Kui\z 3 mentions the finding of an emerald about the year 1897 near Earle, N. C. Kunz describes this emerald as a broken fragment of good color, better than anything observed from North Carolina and closely resembling the material from the Muzo mine of Colombia. The stone was somewhat flawed but was cut into a trapcziform or subtriangular gem, weighing 4-15/16 carats. Earle is 3-3/4 miles southeast of the "Old Plantation mine," and it is possible that the stone referred to came from that deposit. Nevertheless, it is well to keep in mind the possibilities of the occurrence of other emerald deposits in this region, since rock associations similar to those at this mine occur at other places.
Mining and prospecting were continued at the Old Plantation mine through 1912 and are still in progress (April, 1913). Deposits of emeralds were opened in July and August, 1912, and 269 carats of irregularly shaped pieces and fragments of crystals were obtained. These lots of emeralds consisted of both clear and partly cloudy gem material, the color of some of which was a fine deep green.
Some emeralds of very fine quality have been obtained along with those of ordinary grade. The best stones have the deep grass or emerald green color characteristic of that gem, with only the average amount of flaws or defects usual in the fine-grade material. In other*
1 Min. and Eng. World, Dec. 21,1912, quoting "Financial News." » Jewelers' Circular Weekly, Jan. 29,1913.
• Histmv of the gems found in North Carolina: Bulletin North Carolina Geo], and Econ. Survey, No. 12, 1907, p. 42.
