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as occurring at several places in Canada, has not, however, been found 

 sufficiently large, I think, for the needs of the optician, who designates 

 this mineral pebble, and who prefers it to glass on account of its 

 superior hardness and coolness to the touch. 



I shall here call your attention to some erroneous ideas concerning 

 different coloured Quartz. 



The Cairngorm (named from the Cairngorm Mountain in Scot- 

 land) is a smoky variety of Quartz — although this name is often applied 

 to the same mineral of other tints. Such names as the Brazilian Topaz 

 Mexican Topaz, Spanish Topaz, False Topaz, Citrine, Smoke Stone 

 Cairngorm, etc., are all ajDplied in turn to coloured Quartz by jewellers 

 and others, who appear to have a name always ready, according to the 

 shade of gem in demand. If this loose nomenclature were confined 

 to varieties of Quartz it would not be of so much consequence, but re- 

 gardless of their composition, they call all stones of a pale green 

 colour Aquamarine, and all pale yellow ones Topaz. 



Amethyst is another variety of Quartz, found principally at Lake 

 Superior and Nova Scotia, although at the former locality it is much 

 more abundant and is found lining cavities in groups of large crystals 

 that are often coated with Jasper, Pyrite, Fluorite, etc. Its colour is of 

 various shades of purple in blotched markings, which prevents their use 

 to any extent as gems, owing to the difficulty of getting an evenly 

 coloured stone. On the Bay of Fundy a more uniformly coloured stone 

 is met with, although comparatively rare, which will at times cut into a 

 costly jewel. 



Amethyst is valued according to the depth, richness and uniformity 

 of colour, and its transparenc). "This stone like most gems appears 

 less brilliant at night, but when surrounded with pearls it appears at all 

 times to its best advantage." In 1652 Emmanuel says that an Amethyst 

 was worth as much as a Diamond of equal weight. 



Cals-Eye Quartz is reported to have been found on the Bay of 

 Fundy. Sometime ago I was shown a rolled specmien from Partridge 

 Island, N.S., which the owner prized very much, but which I was con- 

 vinced was nothing but a pebble of Heulandite. However, notwith- 

 standing this single mistake, we are informed on good authority that the 



