Report on the Exhibition of Oems. 73 



Our garnets are, without exception, of the most precious 

 almandine tint, and fine in size and clearness. The exhi- 

 bition contained quite a number, both cut and in the rough. 

 I have not yet seen one red garnet, such as are found about 

 Mount Vesuvius. 



THE QUARTZ ORDEE. 



The exhibition brought together a vast variety of speci- 

 mens of this class, both wrought and in the rough, and 

 embracing nearly, if not quite, every known colour. Smoky 

 quartz and caii^ngorms, as they are called, were in great 

 abundance, as also pure white crystals, and water- worn 

 lumps, and amethysts of every shade of purple, but falling 

 somewhat short in colour, when compared with the best of 

 those of Ceylon and Siberia. These stones occur all over 

 the colony, but have been mostly found where digging for 

 gold is carried on. Among the exhibits of Mr. Turner, of 

 Beechworth, were a number of exceeding beauty and size, 

 exquisitely cut, and tastefully set as brooches and ladies' 

 ornaments. 



Chalcedony, chrysoprase, and agates, in gi^eat variety, 

 came up from Beechworth, chiefly from the Woolshed Creek 

 and Sebastopol. 



TOURMALINES. 



The specimens of this stone, found in the granite from the 

 Ovens district, were mostly opaque. The only clear crystal 

 that I remember in the exhibition, that was undoubtedly 

 Victorian, was one in my collection, found by myself in 

 granite rubbish close to a bridge, between Benalla and 

 Wangaratta. I thought I had found a specimen in the 

 granite used for the foundation of Sandhurst Gaol, but am 

 not quite sure of it. I call attention to this matter here, for 

 the purpose of interesting some one in keeping an eye to 

 such matters when woi^king the quarries from which that 

 stone was obtained, near Sandhurst. The large concretions 

 of many difierent substances here and there visible in it was 

 suggestive of other matters besides tourmaline, such as beryl, 

 the emerald, garnets, &c. 



In my collection was a dark-green tourmaline, step-cut, of 

 rather more than three carats, which would compare favour- 

 ably with many emeralds of the same size. This stone 



