BERYL (EMERALD): OCCURRENCE IN AUSTRALIA, ETC. 317 



and it would seem that in some supposed localities the occurrence of emerald is doubtful. 

 Thus, for example, it appears that there has been no well-authenticated occurrence of 

 emerald in India or Burma, although both countries are often described as emerald localities. 

 The green stones, the occurrence of which in Rajputana, in north-west India, is fairly 

 authentic, may very possibly be chrysoberyl. The emerald is a stone which is highly 

 prized in India, but the emeralds now in the country were probably brought either from 

 South America or perhaps from the Urals. This is probably the history of the emeralds 

 which are now exhibited in the collection of jewellery in the Indian Section of the Victoria 

 and Albert Museum, South Kensington. Among the Burmese regalia there exhibited is a 

 fine slice, about 2 inches across, of a large hexagonal crystal of emerald. At the present 

 day a lai-ge number of emeralds are sent from London to India, and it is also stated that 

 South American stones are sent direct to India to be cut after the manner customary in that 

 country, after which they are placed on the market as stones of Indian origin. 



Emerald is said to occur as pebbles in Algeria, namely, in the Hai-i-ach and Bouman 

 rivers, and also in .situ in the neighbourhood, but according to other statements the mineral 

 in question is green tourmaline. 



The emerald localities in Australia ai'e not important. Mount Remarkable in South 

 Australia is one, and there are a few in New South Wales. At one of these, nine miles north- 

 east of the township of Emmaville in the County of Gough, N;S.W., mining operations, 

 first for tin-stone and then for emerald, have been carried on, not apparently, however, with 

 very successful results. The emeralds are found here in a pegmatite vein, which is an 

 offshoot from a mass of gi-anite penetrating clay-slates, probably of iCarboniferous age. The 

 associated minerals are topaz, fluor-spar, cassiterite, and mispickel. The colour of these 

 emeralds ranges from a pale shade of green to a moderately bright grass- or emerald-green ; 

 the crystals never have any great depth of colour, and they resemble beryl almost more 

 closely than typical emerald. The largest crystal which had been found previous to 1891 

 measured 1^ inches in length, and the largest faceted Stone weighed ^\ carats. 



A number of fine emeralds have been found in North America. Small crystals have 

 been met with at numerous places in the eastern parts of the United. States. In the 

 State of North Carolina they occur in druses in gneiss at many places in Alexander County, 

 and especially at Stony Point. Here also are to be found other varieties of precious beryl, 

 together with hiddenite, the so-called " lithia-emerald." During the course of a few years 

 stones to the value of 15,000 dollars (about .£3000) were obtained at this spot by the 

 Emerald and Hiddenite Mining Company ; at the present time, however, the mine appears 

 to be exhausted. Only a few of the emeralds found here were suitable for cutting as gems; 

 the largest and finest stone found yielded a faceted gem weighing 6 carats. Russell Gap 

 Road in the same county is also mentioned as a place where emeralds have been found. A 

 few good crystals have been met with near Haddam in Connecticut, and near Topsham in 

 Maine, but the occurrence of emerald as a whole in North America has only local 

 significance. 



In former times Brazil was considered to be a country in which fine emeralds 

 abounded, and after the Portuguese conquest strenuous efforts were made to discover 

 naturally occurring stones. Not a single emerald, however, has been found in this country, 

 and it seems probable that green tourmaline, which abounds in Brazil, was mistaken for 

 emerald. 



It is certain that in ancient times the name emerald was applied loosely to a large 

 number of green stones, such, for example, as green jasper, chrysocolla, malachite, and 

 others. Even at the present day the name with a distinguishing prefix is applied to 



