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340
MINERAL RESOURCES, 1914----PART II.
SUMMARY OF THE PRECIOUS-STONES INDUSTRY,
1882-1914.
Mining of precious stones in the United States has been a variable industry since its beginning. Most of the gem minerals have been sporadically mined or found during the course of mining for other minerals and only a few varieties have been systematically mined for periods of years at a time. Among those minerals which have been most persistently produced, and in some quantity at different times, are sapphire, turquoise, tourmaline, spodumene, and chrysoprase. A few other gems such as beryl, garnet, quartz, agate, amazon stone, rose quartz, and variscite, have been produced somewhat regularly, but generally in small quantity.
George F. Kunz,1 summarizing the production and the localities of the different gem minerals in 1882, mentions the following:
Occasional diamonds had been found in several States. Sapphire was known to occur along Missouri River near Helena, Mont., and both ruby and sapphire at the Jenks corundum mine in Macon County, N. C. Topaz had been found in Maine and Colorado. Emerald and hiddenite had been discovered 16 years before in Alexander County, N. C. Aquamarine and other beryl were obtained from several of the Eastern States. Garnets, called "Arizona ruby," were being col­lected each year by the Navajo Indians in some quantity. Tourma­line had been mined for many years at Mount Mica, near Paris, Me., and was known to occur at other localities and also in Connecticut. Quartz and rock crystal were obtained from numerous scattered locali­ties, especially fine small crystals coming from Herkimer County, N. Y., and Hot Springs, Ark. Rose quartz was found at several places in New England. Gold quartz from several Western States was made into jewelry. Amethyst had been found in Maine, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Colorado. Agate was known to occur in many States, and the Wyoming and Montana moss agates were used in large quan­tities. Jasper and petrified wood were found in many States and used in small quantities. Peridot was gathered by the Navajo In­dians of Arizona. Turquoise was known in New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada. The feldspar gems, labradorite, amazon stone, sun-stone, and moonstone were used in small quantities. The amazon stone came from the Pikes Peak region, Colorado. The Lake Supe­rior gem stones, thomsonite and chlorastrolite, were collected for the tourist trade. Numerous lesser gems were known to occur in the United States, but were only sparingly used, such as phenacite, hya­cinth garnet, iolite, rutilated quartz, novaculite, rutile, prehnite, obsidian, diopside, chrysoprase, rhodonite, malachite, chiastolite, catlinite, and others.
Precious stones: XJ. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources 0. S., 1882,1883.