ELISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 47 



Emerald (chrome-green beryl). — In the hist edition (chap- 

 ter 1, of the 2d volume, Geology of North Carolina) the dis- 

 covery of emeralds in this State was only conjectured. Up to 

 1881 there had been found at the now famous locality only a 

 few crystals, which "had not sufficient depth of color or trans- 

 parency to be termed gems."* But as forerunners of what fol- 

 lowed in the succeeding years these crystals had tlieir peculiar 

 value as pioneer specimens presaging the existence of true enier- 

 alds. On page 41, chapter 1, Geology of North Carolina, 1881, 

 the remark is made that '^deep green cry.->tals (of beryl) resem- 

 bling emendds and beautiful varieties, simihir to occurrences in 

 Siberia), are found on J. W. Warren's farm, near Salem Church, 

 Alexander county." 



The discovery of the emerald mine was made in 1880 and w'as 

 in the nature of a scientific deduction from events occurring to 

 me while carrying forward a systematic search for Platinum in 

 North Carolina. While visiting Alexander county and vicinity, 

 in 1879, a few pieces of "beryl" were noticed in the collection of 

 a local miueralist (Mr. J. A. D. Stephenson) which in their edges 

 exhibited a tinge of color verging distinctly on that of the 

 emerald. On that observation I at once concluded that, a re- 

 gion which could produce beryls, having a slight tint of the 

 true emerald color, might, or ought to furnish the true emer- 

 ald if proper search was made. Accordingly, at my first leis- 

 ure the locality was re-visited (the Warren farm above cited) 

 and a systematic search commenced for the source of the crvs- 

 tals of beryl, which up to that time had only been found 

 loose in the surface soil and of trifling value. After five weeks 

 of fruitless effort a vein was found at a depth of eight feet below 

 the surface, in which not only true emeralds were found, but also, 

 along with thenj, maiiy slender crystals having emerald color, 

 perfect transparency, but otherwise very different from emeralds 

 proper.f It is unnecessary to recount here all the emerald dis- 

 coveries made in Sharpe's Township, Alexander county, during 



*Letter from Dr. Genth, 1880, to Mr. J. A. D. Stephenson. 



f These crystals were subsequently given the name of hiddenite. 



