136 



the somewhat darker shade froni Nova Scotia, also afford material for 

 cutting. This stone, when translucent and prettily mottled, will cut 

 into curious and pretty gems. 



Jade or Nephrite is a tough compact translucent mineral graduat- 

 ing from a greyish white to dark shades of green. It takes a high 

 polish, having a somewhat greasy lustre. This is not much known in 

 this country, but is very popular in Asia. It is found in Corisca, China, 

 Egypt and New Zealand, in the latter country it is called Greenstone, 



In British Columbia numerous implements and tools, fashioned 

 by the Indians out of a beautiful translucent variety of this mineral 

 equal to that from New Zealand, are often found, but no occurance oi 

 this mineral in situ has yet been observed. 



Epidote., when in translucent crystals and of a good colour will 

 sometimes cut ito a very curious gem. Our Canadian mineral is gen- 

 erally of a hue of greenish or yellowish colour; some small crystals, 

 however, from Wakefield are translucent, but not of gem quality. The 

 massive variety although widely distributed in the Pre-Cambrian rocks 

 is rarely met with m large pieces, but as an accessory to the Gneissic 

 rocks it sometimes lends a pleasing tint when these are polished. Fine 

 slabs of a reddish colour, veined or clouded with light green Epidote, 

 might be cut from the Gneiss of Ramsay. Epi-dosite from the Shick- 

 Shock Mountains will also cut into fair stones of a pale yellowish green 

 colour somewhat resembling Chrysoprase. According to the Geology 

 of Canada this mineral is also of frequent occurence in the Silurian 

 rocks. 



Rutile is mentioned as a gem material, sometimes cutting into 

 Ruby red stones, and others of a black colour, more closely resembling 

 the Black Diamond then any other known gem. Some of the lighter 

 coloured ones cut into gems closely resembling the common Garnet. 



This mineral occurs in Canada in Ruby red grains distributed 

 through the Ilmenite at Bay St. Paul, but I have not heard of any 

 pieces being found large enough for cutting. It also occurs in geni- 

 culated crystals of a reddish colour in a mixed bed of Barite and Cal- 

 cite at Templeton, but not of gem quality. 



Chondrodite occurs of various shades of yellow to hyacinth red, 

 also green and brown in massive varieties. In Canada the only occur- 



