Ch. 3: Precious Gem stones in 1916

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	GEMS AND PRECIOUS STONES.	889

	duced, that for 1915 being $170,431 and that for 1916 being $217,793, an increase in 1916 of 28 per cent over the value in 1915, and of 75 per cent over the value in 1914. The value for 1916, however, has not yet reached the general average, being less than that of any year since 1900, except 1906, 1914, and 1915. Value of precious stones produced in the United States, 1912-1916.



	The marked irregularity in the value of the output of any one gem stone from year to year is due mostly to the very irregular mode of occurrence of many gem stones and to the fact that most of the producers carry on their work in gem finding as an incident to other work and therefore do not put much money or much time into it. Most of the value recorded represents the output of a few large companies, but by far the greater number of producers carry on gem mining very differently from other mining. The value given in the table largely represents the first value of the rough material; the value of the cut and polished gems is several times greater. The completeness and accuracy of the statistics of production depend on the assistance of the gem miners and dealers, and their help is greatly appreciated. The Geological Survey carries on a large correspondence concerning precious stones, and the accurate information furnished by the individual producers enables the Survey to put intending purchasers of rough material directly in touch with them. The principal precious stones produced in the United States during recent years are corundum, quartz, tourmaline, and turquoise. These four minerals have yielded 86 per cent of the total value of

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