HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



271 



Most of this comes from California, where it is not 

 only used as a gem, but in the manufacture of various 

 ornaments. One of these, an imitation of the Ca- 

 thedral Notre Dame, is valued at ^"4000. I saw 

 no specimens in Hungary so good, though the gold 

 penetrating amethystine quartz is very beautiful. 

 Though Californian gold is worth about £3 lev. an 

 ounce, nice specimens of quartz readily bring from 

 £5 io £7 an ounce. 



Although the flexible sandstone, the gangue of the 

 diamond in Brazil, is found in mountain masses in 

 North Carolina and other States, no very large 

 diamonds have as yet been discovered. Many 

 small ones are recorded from California, North 

 Carolina, Virginia, and elsewhere. The largest 

 was found at Manchester, near Richmond, Virginia, 

 and weighed 23! carats in the rough, and iiji carats 

 cut. It was valued when found at ^"800, and ,£1400 

 was loaned upon it later. Professor Whitney states 

 that the largest found in California was "]\ carats. 

 Rubies and sapphires have been found in the rock 

 in the Corundum mines of North Carolina, and 

 C. S. Bement has an uncut green one in his collection 

 that would give So to 100 carats' worth of good 

 stones, one of which would probably weigh 20 carats. 

 This specimen is probably worth ^200. The largest 

 red-and-blue crystal weighs 312 lbs., and belongs to 

 Amherst College. The best sapphires are found in 

 the placer mines of Montana. Asteriated corundums 

 are found in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. 



About ^2200 of quartz or rock-crystal is mined 

 annually. The best localities are Hot Springs, 

 Arkansas, North Carolina, New York, and Virginia. 

 A portion of a mass that must have weighed over 

 40 lbs. was recently received from Alaska that cut a 

 hand-glass three inches by five. They are frequently 

 dug up in the pre-historic mounds, and were used by 

 the medicine-men and others for telling future events. 

 Amethysts are found in very fine specimens in 

 Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, and the Lake Superior 

 region. From the latter region they are very remark- 

 ably lined, some specimens showing " phantom 

 crystals " equal to the Hungarian. Near the Yellow- 

 stone National Park, and in the Chalcedony Forests 

 of Arizona, are tree-trunks — some of which are 100 feet 

 long — turned to stone by the action of silicated 

 waters. Some of these trees are still standing up- 

 right ; others having fallen, bridge deep chasms. 

 The once hollow cavities of some are lined with 

 amethyst, others with agate. The Arizona agatised 

 or jasperised wood shows the most beautiful variety 

 of colours of any petrified wood in the world, and 

 about ,£1500 worth is annually sold for ornamental 

 purposes. Probably the most remarkable locality in 

 the world for smoky quartz, or Cairngorm stone, is 

 Pike's Peak, Colorado. Here it is found in a graphic 

 granite, associated with Amazon stone, which also 

 makes a very beautiful green ornamental stone. 

 Over ^1500 worth of this is annually sold. The 



largest crystal found — over four feet in length — of 

 good shape, and all suitable for cutting, was recently 

 sold to the Marquis of Ailsa for ,£20. The rutilated 

 quartz, or Cupid's Arrows, is found in remarkably 

 fine specimens in North Carolina. Perhaps the most 

 remarkable mass is one 7 in. by 33 in., now in the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. The 

 crystals of Rutile are about the size of knitting- 

 needles. Some of the North Carolina Rutile has 

 been cut, furnishing brilliant gems closely resembling 

 carbonado. The Rutile geniculated till it forms a 

 perfect circle or rosette, from Magnet Cove, Arkansas, 

 is often mounted and worn as a charm. While opals 

 are found at many places in the United States, they 

 do not rival those of Queretaro, in Mexico. Here 

 are found not only the "milky opals that gleam and 

 shine like sullen fires in a pallid mist," but fine, 

 noble, and almost every other variety known. Rho- 

 donite, in specimens suitable for polishing, is found 

 in Massachusetts and New Jersey. At the latter 

 locality were obtained the finest crystals ever seen. 

 The Garnets from New Mexico and Arizona are 

 superior to the Cape rubies from South Africa, and 

 from Alaska the most beautiful crystals ever seen, in 

 a setting of grey mica schist, have recently been 

 obtained. 



The New Mexican Turquoise is mined to the value 

 of about £"Joo annually. It has recently been de- 

 scribed very fully by Professor Clarke, Curator of the 

 Mineralogical Department of the National Museum, 

 and is especially interesting as being the material 

 from which the " Chalchuhuitls," or most sacred 

 images of the Aztecs, were made. The Indians still 

 regard it as a lucky stone. 



Labradorite, lately so popular for gems and 

 ornamental stones, is found in many localities. 

 The Tourmalines of Maine are probably the first in 

 the k world. Here are found the Oriental sapphire, 

 ruby, and emerald in perfection. The Shepherd and 

 Hamlin collections contain specimens that are un- 

 equalled elsewhere. 



Topaz has recently been found at Pike's Peak, 

 Colorado, in large quantity. Some masses weighed 

 two pounds each, and very fine clear white stones 

 have been cut, weighing from 125 to 193 carats. The 

 Topaz so nearly rivals the diamond in lustre and 

 brilliancy that it is difficult to distinguish. 



Among ornamental stones should be mentioned a 

 very beautiful variety of Serpentine from Maryland, 

 called Verdeantique, which is being largely used in 

 the interior decorations of the Philadelphia Court 

 House. Another variety resembling Jade is the gem 

 Williamsite from Pennsylvania. Alabaster of various 

 colours abounds in many localities, and marbles, 

 some as beautiful as the Mexican Onyx, are found in 

 nearly every State. The lovely Malachite and 

 Azurite, Jet, and many other gems of minor im- 

 portance, were referred to, but briefly, on account of 

 limited time. 



