islands.
In foreground, nearly continuous curved line of small islands, with
practically no vegetation higher than sedge grass. Translucent
bluish-gray chalcedony. Faintly banded.
NEBRASKA.
Moss agate is found in considerable abundance in northwestern Nebraska.1
Chalcedony is also found in concretionary and stalac-titic form, of a
waxy or oily luster and of a yellow color. Some of it has been cut and
sold in southeastern Nebraska.
OREGON.
Various
agates are found as stream pebbles in Rogue River valley near Medford,
in basaltic lava areas—black and brown moss agate, jasper, carnelian,
etc. A banded jasper, a clear stone with a small red band shading off
into yellow, jasper has been found at Tillamook, near Newport.
JASPER.
ARIZONA.
A
variety of agate jasper occurring in irrgeular nodular forms near the
rim of the Grand Canyon, Ariz., about 1 mile west of El Tovar Hotel,
has been called zonite by S. W. Denton, of Boston, Mass. The name is
apparently derived from the State in which it is found and not because
of any zonal structure in the material. The material cut in cabochon
form has been used by arts and crafts workers. The colors are white,
cream, pink, yellow, brown, and plum. The material is hard,
close-grained, uniform in texture, and takes a high polish. Samples
sent to the Survey in both the rough and the cut forms show a compact
chert in which many of the color variations are marked and abrupt, with
consequent pleasing color patterns on the polished stone. Most of the
colors are in the yellows, brownish reds, and dark grays, with
splotches of white and light gray.
Mr.
E. A. Howard, of Cave Creek, Ariz., sent in some samples of a red
jasper which polishes well and no doubt would make an interesting and
handsome semiprecious gem. The material contains numerous concentric
rings of specular hematite. Mr. Howard intends to place the material on
the Los Angeles market. The material occurs in a small streak in an
irregular mass of variously colored jasper, which is found in a large
basaltic intrusion in schist. The wavy circular lines of the
concentric bands average about a quarter of an inch in diameter. These
concentric bands occur isolated and also joined together in small
groups. The black lines, due to a concentration of black hematite
grains set in a strong hematite-red, make a pretty contrast and if cut
with reference to the black circles should make odd and attractive gems.
OTHER STATES.
A
large production of kinradite from California is reported. This new gem
stone, consisting of small spherulites set in a dense base, is fully
described in the report on precious stones in Mineral Resources for
1913. Colorado, Arkansas, Nevada, and North Carolina also report a
production of jasper, the varieties including bloodstone, Lydian stone,
novaculite, and agatized and petrified wood.
<•Barbour,
E. H., Nebraska minerals which excite common inquiry: Nebraska Oeol.
Survey Leaflet 37, vol. 4, pt. 20, p. 269 (no date).
