OLIVINE 407 



Both " Pegu " and the " country of the Burmese " are mentioned as localities for 

 chrysolite, but the occurrence of the stone in gem-quality here or in India is by no means 

 well authenticated. The same is true for Ceylon, where chrysoberyl, so often confused 

 with chrysolite, occurs ; also for Brazil, the occurrence of chrysolite among the variously 

 coloured stones of Minas Novas having been reported. In this case also it is highly 

 probable that the stone referred to is chrysoberyl, since this stone is usually known to 

 Brazilians as chrysolite. 



Chrysolite of gem-quality is said, moreover, to come " from the Orient," " from 

 Natolia " and " from the Levant," finding its way into Western markets by way of Con- 

 stantinople and Austria. "Egypt" is also mentioned as a locality, especially for the 

 transparent, green crystals, such as are represented in Fig. 11, Plate XIV., and often to be 

 seen in mineral collections. More detailed statements mention Upper Egypt, and a locality 

 east of Esneh between the Nile and the Red Sea, the mother-rock being supposed to be 

 granite or syenite. 



None of the occurrences mentioned above are well autlienticated, and in the opinion of 

 Mr. G. F. Kunz, the well-known American expert, an opinion based on a large experience 

 of the precious-stone trade, no chrysolite suitable for cutting is at the present time found 

 anywhere in nature. He considers that the material \vhich now comes into the market is 

 derived from old ornaments of various kinds, some dating back a couple of centuries. It is 

 possible that the deposit, from which this old material was obtained, was exhausted or 

 abandoned and that its exact position came to be forgotten. At the same time, however, 

 Kunz records the occurrence of pebbles of chrysolite, suitable for cutting, with garnets in 

 the sands of New Mexico and Arizona. Most of these, however, are small and not of 

 very good colour, so that they are practically useless as gems. 



True chrysolite, that is to say, noble olivine, and other precious stones similar in colour, 

 are sometimes liable to be mistaken the one for the other. Thus chrysolite has occasionally 

 been taken for emerald, though the two stones may be easily distinguished by means of the 

 specific gravity, emerald being much lighter than chrysolite, which just sinks in pure 

 methylene iodide, while emerald floats. The supposed emerald which ornaments the shrine 

 of the Three Holy Kings in the cathedral of Cologne is in reality not emerald but 

 chrysolite. The stone with which chrysolite is most frequently confused, however, is 

 chrysoberyl. It has been stated above that this stone is known to the Brazilians as 

 chrysolite ; the chrysolite of French jewellers and the " oriental chrysolite " of the trade is 

 also in many cases chrysoberyl. The two can be easily distinguished from the fact that 

 chrysoberyl is both harder and heavier than chrysolite, the former sinking and the latter 

 floating in the heaviest liquid (sp. gr. = 3"6). 



Other pale green gems are occasionally referred to by the name chrysolite qualified 

 by some prefix. Thus " Ceylonese chrysolite " is tourmaline of an olive-green colour ; 

 "oriental chrysolite" sometimes signifies yellowish-green corundum; the term "Saxon 

 chrysolite " is applied to greenish-yellow topaz from Schneckenstein in Saxony ; " false 

 chrysolite " to green bottle-stone or moldavite, which will be considered later on ; green 

 specimens of the mineral prehnite are termed " chrysolite from the Cape." In Table 13, 

 in the third part of this book, are given the methods by which these stones may be 

 distinguished. 



A yellowish-green glass recently much used for the commoner kinds or ornaments is 

 also sometimes referred to as chrysolite or obsidian. It is very similar in appearance to 

 true chrysolite, but, being singly refracting, is easily distinguished from this in the 

 polariscope. 



