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1056 MINERAL RESOURCES., 1912.
carbonates
and silicates; limonite formed in abundance; apatite was leached from
the rock formations; and turquoise, jarosite, more sericite, and quartz
were formed. The solutions from which the turquoise might have formed
probably obtained the necessary phosphate and alumina from the
decomposition of apatite and sericite. These minerals would have been
readily attacked and leached by sulphate solutions formed by the
oxidation of pyrite. The same solutions would have obtained sufficient
copper to complete the formation of turquoise during the decomposition
of cupriferous pyrite.
Pogue
discusses the aboriginal use of turquoise in Central America, Mexico,
and the United States as attested by historical evidence and by
objects. The liberal use of footnotes refers the reader to Various
histories, works on anthropology, and museum collections where further
information can be obtained. The esteem in which turquoise was held by
the ancient inhabitants of the southwestern United States and Mexico is
shown not to have abated among their present representatives, the
Indian tribes of those regions. Thus the Pueblo, Zuni, Hopi, Navaho,
Apache, and Ute tribes still bedeck themselves with ornaments of
turquoise or use it for money.
VARISCITE.
The
beautiful green mineral variscite has been used for gem and ornamental
purposes under several names, such as "amatrice,'. "utahlite," and "
chlorutahlite." The first variscite to be used as gems in the United
States came from the mine of Don Maguire, of Ogden, Utah. This mine,
located in Clay Canyon, 1-1/2 miles west of Fairfield, Utah County, was
discovered in October, 1894. G. F. Kunz ' suggested the name utahlite
for the mineral as a gem, and it was subsequently called chlorutahlite,
under which name the material from this mine is now marketed. The next
discovery was made in 1905 about 14 miles S. 65° W. of Tooele, in the
foothills of the Stansbury Mountains. This material was described as
"utahlite (variscite)" by Kunz,2 but was later called "amatrice" by the Occidental Gem Corporation, of Salt Lake City,3
and under this name it is now sold. Later discoveries were made at
other localities in Utah and at many localities in Nevada, as set forth
in these reports for 1909 and 1910. Practically all the minerals from
these localities have been sold under the true name, variscite. There
are two localities of interest in Utah—one in Washington County and one
near Lucin, in Boxelder County. The former is worked by John A. Maynes,
of Salt Lake City, and the latter is claimed by Edward Bird and Frank
Edison, of Lucin. In Nevada variscite is widespread and has been
prospected or mined at many places in Esmeralda County, especially near
the deserted mining town of Columbus, near Candelaria, Coaldale, Blair
Junction, and Sodaville.
The
value of the production of variscite increased from several hundred
dollars a year to several thousand dollars in 1907. During the next
three years it was still greater, reaching a maximum of $35,938 in
1909. In 1911 and 1912 the output was less, but still sufficiently
large to show that variscite has established a place for itself among
American gem stones.
i
Sixteenth Ann. Kept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 4,1894, p. 602. 2 Mineral
Resources D*. S. for 1905, U. S Geol. Survey, 190fi, p. 1351.
a
Mineral Resources U. S. for 1907 pt. 2, pp. S32-S33; idem for 190.8 pt.
2, pp. 853-856, U. S. Geol. Survey. Also Zalinski, E, R., Amatrice, a
new Utah gem stone: Eng. and Mm. Jour., May 22,1909.
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