53 



and bright. The copper should be 

 then dried, and after drying, it 

 should be burnished briskly with a 

 dry stiff brush. This gives it a 

 shiny lustre, and retards its further 

 oxidation. If the copper is covered 

 by calcite and the calcite objection- 

 able, I prefer hydric chloride — Hce — 

 as it will better dissolve the calcite. 

 Many specimens can be greatly im- 

 proved, both in looks, and in value, 

 by treating as above. Thus, a piece 

 of byssolite in calcite, like the Ven- 

 nora variety, is attached to a handle, 

 and then dipped in Hce until effer- 

 vescence cases, (it is supposed oper- 

 ator will use only enough acid to 

 cover specimen, as, should a great ex- 

 cess of acid be present the efferves- 

 cence would cease only, when speci- 

 men was entirely gone) now, add a 

 little water, and after the new effer- 

 vescence has lost its briskness, care- 

 fully wash in clear water. If the 

 specimen is now examined with a 

 glass, the fine fibers will be seen 

 sticking out in all directions, pro- 

 ducing a regular net work of hairs. 

 Any other mineral occuring in crys- 

 tals in calcite may be thus brought 

 out in relief. Spiral crystals are 

 often finely brought out. I have one 

 that stands out by just the point 

 being attached to the calcite. When 

 a franklinite is thus treated, if, as 

 there generally is, any willemite, or 

 troostite, crystals, use dilute acid, 

 made by adding 25 per cent the bulk 

 of Hce, of water. Strong acid will 

 decompose and spoil the willemite. 

 Many other examples might be giv- 

 en, but enough has been said, and 

 each operator can carry out the idea. 

 This was neatly done, by a party in 

 Mich. As the story goes, some 

 prospectors while on an exploring 

 expedition came across a large vein 

 of pure copper projecting out of 

 what proved to be a bowlder. 

 As soon as they discovered it 

 was a bowlder, their excitement 

 over the discovery gave way to 



yankee shrewdness. They cov- 

 ered the copper in places with 

 UNO, and sometime after poured 

 on ammonia water and a solution of 

 washing soda. The acid formed 

 green nitrate of copper, the ammo- 

 nia made streaks of a blue hydrate, 

 and the soda formed insoluble car- 

 bonate from these. The rock thus 

 on a years exposal to atmosphere, in 

 a protected place, from direct rains, 

 gave copper, blue, and green mal- 

 achite. Now this combination is 

 generally very rich. So having 

 bought the land surrounding, the 

 year previous, they sold it for min- 

 ing purposes at a good round sum, 

 and skipped before the end of the 

 bowl dei* was reached. 



I: 



Other methods of cleaning will 

 be found necessary, such as mica 

 specimens by a mechanical opera- 

 tion by simply cleaving top layer off 

 with a knife, etc. There is one 

 specimen, that, when it occurs in 

 choice specimens, is beautiful and 

 rare to most cabinets. Yet I have 

 on hand a few valuable pieces, and it 

 is to warn any reader who may hap- 

 pen to receive some, never rub, brush 

 or even touch with your fingers a 

 stilpnomelane chalcidite. These 

 specimens look good and solid, but 

 they are very easily rendered 

 worthless if touched. The lustre 

 is changed to a greenish brown dull 

 material. To protect millerite from 

 dust and danger of being touched, 

 I recommend the packet to be kept 

 covered by a thin tin plate, kept 

 adjusted by means of a rubber 

 band. Black Iron Garnets that are 

 dull or rusty, are often improved by 

 rubbing with a cloth wet in kerosene. 



The next paper will consider 

 methods of arranging, analysing and 

 polishing. 



