260 J. MILNE CURRAN. 
At first sight they lead one to think they had been dropped into 
position after the manner of erratics, but of this there is no 
collateral evidence. 
There are a number of other stones of little interest that come 
under the heading of precious stones, that [ propose to treat of 
briefly. 
QUARTZ AND ITs VARIETIES. 
Ametliyst.—Is the one variety of quartz most prized as a gem. 
This stone cannot be said to be rare in the colony. I have collected 
specimens from alongside a quartz leader, in the cliffs between 
Eden and Twofold Bay, in highly inclined clay slates. I havea 
group of crystals found in a cavity in the trachyte (syenite) of 
Bowral. Excellent examples of a fine colour were found at one 
time in a tunnel in porphyry at Bowling Alley Point. Professor 
David! notes a vein of amethystine quartz, one and a half feet 
wide, in New England. 
The best coloured amethyst I have in my own collection comes 
from Oberon. Between Oberon and O’Connell’s Plains a quantity 
of amethyst was discovered in 1890, from which some fine gems 
were cut. 
Rose Quartz.—This rare variety is not often met with in this 
colony. The only specimen in my collection comes from the Mole 
Tableland, but it was not collected by the writer. 
Black and Smoky Quartz.—Every shade of these stones is easily 
obtainable. Some lemon-yellow varieties are much in request, and 
are often found. Very beautiful and water clear pieces are found 
up to one pound in weight. I have seen large blocks of perfect 
cairngorm from the deep leads at Gulgong. The fine group figured 
on the photograph exhibited, comes from a tin-bearing drift at 
Elsmore, near Inverell. The darkest of these stones becomes clear . 
on heating. As exemplifying their abundance, I may say that 
my collection contains good smoky quartz from places as widely 
1 Geology of the Vegetable Creek Tin-mining Field, by Prof. T. W- B. 
David, p. 133. 
