464 syste:matic description of precious stones 



Ax(j-hcads of nephrite are also found not infrequently in eastern Siberia, both in the 

 ■soil and in the ancient Tchudic graves at Tomsk and in the Altai Mountains. Rough 

 nephrite is also said to occur in Amur. 



The following details respecting the recent discovery of nephrite in Siberia are taken 

 from Mr. G. F. Kunz. The search for nephrite in Siberia was greatly stimulated in the 

 vear 1897 b\' a command from the Imperial House of Russia, that material be obtained for 

 a sarcophagus to contain the remains of Czar Alexander III. Three expeditions were made 

 by L. von Jascevski, the officer in charge of the Siberian division of the Geological Survey 

 of Russia, to the eastern Urals for the purpose of discovering larger masses of nephrite than 

 had been found before, and, if possible, of finding nephrite in situ. After thoroughly 

 investigating the deposits and obtaining masses of the mineral in the region of the Onot, a 

 region which had been visited bv Alibert in 1850, and by Permikin in 1865, he visited the 

 district of the Chara Jalga. In the bed of this river some masses of nephrite measuring 

 12 feet in length and 3 feet in width were discovered, but an even more important discovery 

 was that of a ledge of nephrite of a magnificent green colour in its primary situation, this 

 being the first observed occurrence i» situ of nephrite in Siberia. The boulders in the 

 stream furnished sufficient material for the purpose of the expedition, and for the past three 

 ^ears the Imperial Lapidary Works at St. Petersburg have been engaged upon the working 

 of a small canopy to be placed over the the tombs of the Czar and Czarina. The canopy 

 measures 13 feet in licight and is constructed wholly of nephrite and rhodonite, of which 

 latter material the entire sarcophagus for Czar Alexander II. had been made. 



In India nephrite, or material similar to nephrite, has been found, but not in large 

 amount. The occurrence is not important, and is confined to the southern part of the 

 Mirzapur district in Bengal. The important occurrence of jadeite in Burma will be dealt 

 with furthei- on. 



In America, as in Europe, jadeite is more common than nephrite. Objects fashioned 

 out of nephrite are known to have been found in Central America, Venezuela, and Alaska, 

 and primary deposits of nephrite, or at any rate rough nephrite, is said to occur on the 

 Amazon river. Some of the material to which the name amazon-stone is applied has been 

 supposed to be nephrite, but whether this is actually so is very uncertain. The occurrence 

 of nephrite in sitio at various places in Alaska and in the neighbouring parts of British 

 Columbia is, howeyer, well established. It is possible that both the Tchudis and the natives 

 of the regions on either side of Behring Strait obtained their rough material from the 

 deposits in Alaska. It is improbable, however, that the rough material for the nephrite 

 objects found in South America, in Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil, came also from Alaska. 

 The nephrite out of which these objects are fashioned has definite characters of its own, and 

 is more likely to have been found nearer at hand : where, however, is unknown. 



The somewhat remarkable occurrence of nephrite in New Zealand was first 

 discovered by Forster, who accompanied Captain Cook. The nephrite, which is usually of 

 a fine green colour, occurs here partly in situ and partly as loose erratic boulders. From 

 the earliest times this beautiful stone has been fashioned by the Maoris into weapons 

 (battle-axes and clubs), chisels, axes, ear-pendants, idols, and other objects, and is still 

 highly esteemed by them and known under the name " punamu." They recognise several 

 \arieties which ai^e distinguished by special names. The conditions of the occurrence are 

 not yet known in detail, but there appear to be three localities, all of which are on the 

 west side of South Island. Fifteen miles from the mouth of the Arahaura (Spring) river 

 occurs a band of " green schists " several feet in thickness ; this is one locality. Another 

 lies to the south of Mount Cook, in the vicinity of Jackson Bay or on Milford Sound ; the 



