6 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
July, 1921 
QUEENSLAND GEMSTONES IN THE PRINCE’S 
CASKET. 
By B. DUNiSTAN. 
Chief Government Geologist. 
(With two plates). 
Queensland produces a wonderful variety of metallic 
and n on-metallic minerals of economic importance. Per- 
haps no other country in the world is comparable with her 
in this respect. Amongst these minerals are numbers 
of gemstones of great beauty and rarity, and it has been 
the endeavour, in making up a “ Prince’s Collection/’ to 
illustrate what can be produced in the State in the way 
of stones for gem and ornamental purposes. 
The following account of the stones of the casket 
does not embrace all that Queensland can produce, but 
a list of those not included in the collection is given at 
the end. The descriptions are not in numerical order, but 
according to mineral species and varieties: — 
A THE CORUNDUM VARIETIES. 
(Nos. 1, 2, 3.) The Oriental peridot, or yellowish- 
green sapphire, occurs in all parts of the Anakie sapphire 
held. It varies much in colour and shade, and merges into 
Oriental olivine, the tints varying between the standard 
yellowish-green and brownish-green. The stones are 
more attractive in daylight than in artificial light, par- 
ticularly if the light is yellowish; at night they are of a 
pink colour, this rare feature suggesting the name of 
Alexandrite sapphire. The stones numbered 2 and 3 have 
this peculiar optica! effect, and are decidedly pink at 
night time. They are from Mr. Hunt’s claim at Rubyvale, 
No. 1 stone coming from Mr. Newsome’s claim in the 
same locality. 
(Nos. 23, 24, and 25.) The three Oriental emeralds, 
or emerald green sapphires, are usually deep in tint, but 
somewhat lighter shades are occasionally found, w’hich 
vary between grass-green and a pale emerald-green, 
although none have been found having the brightness of 
colour of the true emerald. Its diehroic property gives it 
h light and dark green effect, according to the direction 
in which hi the rough it is viewed, and when the stones 
are faceted this effect is retained. The pale bluish-green 
sapphire — Oriental aquamarine (No. 9) — is a rare stone, 
and generally very clear, and when correctly faceted 
makes a gem much more lustrous than the ordinary 
aquamarine. 
