^ 120 



Beryl. — This mineral has been noticed at a few places in Canada, 

 more particularly in the County of Berthier, where crystals several 

 inches in length occur in a granite vein, and although these are often of 

 a good colour (various shades of green), they are net transparent 

 enough for cutting, except, perhaps, in small portions of a crystal 

 which will sometimes cut into small gems. The pale bluish-green 

 transparent varieties of this mineral are called Aqua-Marine ; the 

 emerald-green, Em.erald. Sometimes the name Aqua-Marine Chrysolite 

 is applied to the yellowish-green varieties. The Emerald and the 

 Aquamarine are sometimes introduced as oriental, which, of course, 

 enhances their value considerably, and, if genuine, are really the green 

 and the light bluish-green Sapphire. 



Toicrmaline is another gem of some importance, and although its 

 name is seldom heard from the jewellers, it is nevertheless often sold 

 under various names. The yellow tiansparent variety is often sold in 

 Ceylon for the Topaz. The blue variety is sometimes sold lor the 

 Brazilian Sapphire, the green variety as the Brazilian Emerald, and the 

 greenish-yellow as the Ceylon Chrysolite. The carmine or hyacinth- 

 red variety (Rubellite), which is, perhaps, the most valuable, retains the 

 name of Tourmaline. 



This mineral is widely distributed in the Laurentian rocks either 

 in crystals or crystalline masses ; its predominating colour is black, 

 although such colours as hair-brown, various shades of green, light 

 rose-red and yellow also occur. The black crystals from the Township 

 of Bathurst will cut into fine mourning gems. Small stones of one to 

 two carats, of t-ransparent green of various shades, sometimes a bright 

 emerald, also a yellow and a yellowish-green variety, have been cut 

 from the Tourmaline of Wakefield. The crystals at this locality are 

 seldom more than a quarter of an inch across, but often many inches in 

 length, aggregating together in large masses. I have seen bunches of these 

 slender crystals that would measure eighteen inches in length, exhibit- 

 ing such colours as black, red, green, yellow and colourless in the same 

 crystal, and graduating from opaque to transparent. Light yellowish- 

 green crystals of Tourmaline are met with in the Township of 

 Chatham in a vein of quartz, but these are opaque and too small for 

 cutting. 



