WW fc SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM Bulletin 118 HANDBOOK AND DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF THE COLLECTIONS OF GEMS AND PRECIOUS STONES IN THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BY GEORGE P. MERRILL Head Curutoi of Geology, United States National Museum ASSISTED BY MARGARET \V. MUODEY and EDGAR T. WHERRY WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1922 455.5— 22 1 BULLETIN 118 PL. I U S. NATIONAL MUSEUM 52- ^L ^uT.D. his name in the United Who assembled the original collection of gems that now bears States National Museum. SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM Bulletin 118 HANDBOOK AND DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF THE COLLECTIONS OF GEMS AND PRECIOUS STONES IN THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BY GEORGE P. MERRILL Head Curator of Geology, United States National Muscu, ASSISTED BY MARGARET W. MOODEY and EDGAR T. WHERRY WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1922 ADVERTISEMENT. The scientific publications of the United States National Museum consist of two series, the Proceedings and the Bulletins. The Proceedings, the first volume of which was issued in 1878, are intended primarily as a medium for the publication of original, and usually brief, papers based on the collections of the National Museum, presenting newly acquired facts in zoology, geology, and anthro- pology, including descriptions of new forms of animals, and revisions of limited groups. One or two volumes are issued annually and dis- tributed to libraries and scientific organizations. A limited number of copies of each paper, in pamphlet form, is distributed to specialists and others interested in the different subjects as soon as printed. The dates of publication are recorded in the tables of contents of the volumes. The Bulletins, the first of which was issued in 1S75, consist of a series of separate publications comprising chiefly monographs of large zoological groups and other general systematic treatises (occasionally in several volumes), faunal works, reports of expeditions, and cata- logues of type-specimens, special collections, etc. The majority of the volumes are octavos, but a quarto size has been adopted in a few instances in which large plates were regarded as indispensable. Since 1902 a series of octavo volumes containing papers relating to the botanical collections of the Museum, and known as the Contribu- tions from the National Herbarium, has been published as bulletins. The present work forms No. US of the Bulletin series. William deC. Ravexel, Administrative Assistant to the Secretary hi charge of the United States National Museum. Washington, D. C, January 23, 1922. PREFATORY NOTE. In the annual report of the United States National Museum for 1900 (1902) there was published a descriptive catalogue of the col- lections of gems in the United States National Museum, as prepared by Mr. Wirt Tassin, then assistant curator in charge of the Division of Mineralogy, assisted by A. S. Eakle, subsequently professor of mineralogy in the University of California. As this catalogue has long been out of print, and as the collection has increased consider- ably since it appeared, a new edition has been decided upon. In this, however, a different method of treatment has been adopted, and the subject matter has been quite largely rewritten, so that it represents an essentially new work. In order that just credit may be given to all concerned it may be well to state that the preparation of the catalogue was begun in 1916 by Dr. Edgar T. Wherry, then assistant curator in charge of the mineralogical collection. His resignation in 1917 caused a long de- lay, and meanwhile, during the occupancy of the building by the War Risk Bureau (October, 1917, to March, 1919), it was decided to en- tirely rearrange and recatalogue the collection which had been heretofore included with the general collection of minerals. This work, which involved as well the weighing and measuring of each individual stone, has been slow and laborious, but has been carried through in almost its entirety by Miss Margaret W. Moodey, the re- corder for the department. In preparing the text so much of the edition of 1902 as was suitable has been retained (see particularly pp. 141-178), to which has been added the descriptive matter prepared by Doctor Wherry. Important additional matter is furnished in the accounts of the pegmatites and their associated minerals, that of southern California having been prepared by Dr. W. T. Schaller, for several years custodian of the collection. Other important additions are the references to the Gardner Williams collection of rocks from the diamond mines of South Africa, the list of gem names and the table for the identification of precious stones. In addition to portraits of the founder and benefactor of the col- lection, and two colored plates illustrating gems in the collection, there have been added a number of plates showing typical localities from which gems are mined. George P. Merrill. IV TABLE OF CONTEXTS. Tasje. 1. History and arrangement of the collection 1 2. Names and physical and chemical properties of precious stones 3. Descriptive catalogue of the collections 9 Amber 9 Andalusite 10 Axinite 11 Azurite 11 Benitoite 12 Beryl ' 12 Common, golden, and caesium 13 Aquamarine 14 Emerald 17 Beryllonite 17 Calamine 18 Calcite and aragonite 19 Chalcedony 20 Agate 22 Bloodstone 23 Carnelian 24 Chrysoprase 25 Jasper 25 Moss agate 26 Onyx 27 Plasma 28 Prase 28 Sardonyx. 28 Silicified wood 28 Chromite 28 Chrysoberyl 29 Alexandrite 30 Cat's-eye 30 Chrysolite 30 Coral 31 Corundum 31 Ruby 34 Ruby ( Asteria) 35 Sapphire 35 Sapphire (Asteria) 39 Sapphire, White 40 Oriental amethyst 41 Oriental emerald 41 Oriental topaz 42 Crocidolite 43 Diamond 44 Epidote 49 Euclase 49 v VI CONTENTS. 3. Descriptive catalogue of the collections—Continued. Page. Feldspar 50 Adularia 50 Amazonstone 50 Labradorite 51 Moonstone 51 Oligoclase 52 Orthoclase 52 Perthite 53 Sunstone 53 Fluorite 53 Gadolinite 54 Garnet 54 Almandite 56 Demantoid 63 Essonite 63 Grossularite 64 Pyrope 64 Rhodolite 65 Spessartite 65 Gold 65 Gypsum 65 Satin-spar 66 Hematite 66 Hypersthene 67 Iolite 67 Jade 68 Jadeite .- - 68 Nephrite 68 Kyanite 69 Lazurite 70 Malachite and azurite 70 Moldavite 71 Obsidian 72 Opal 73 Pearl 77 Phenacite 79 Prehnite 80 Chlorastrolite SO Pyrite 81 Pyroxene, variety Diopside 81 Quartz 82 Amethyst 86 Catalinite 88 Cat's-eye 88 Citrine 88 Rock crystal 90 Rose 91 Smoky 92 Rhodonite 93 Rutile 94 Samarskite 95 CONTENTS. VII 3. Descriptive catalogue of the collections Continued. Page. Serpentine 95 Bowenite 96 Satelite 96 Williamsite 96 Smithsonite 96 Sodalite 97 Sphalerite 97 Spinel 98 Spodumene 100 Hiddenite 101 Kunzite 101 Staurolite 101 Thomsonite 102 Titanite 103 Topaz 103 Tourmaline 107 Turquoise 113 Variscite 115 Vesuvianite 116 Californite 116 Wernerite 117 Willemite 117 Zircon 118 Zoisite: Thulite 119 Miscellaneous 120 Granite 120 Huntilite 120 Porphyry 120 4. Supplemental collections 121 1. Rough and cut stones 121 2. Imitation stones 125 3. Artificial or synthetic stones 126 4. Models showing forms into which stones are cut 127 5. Small ornamental objects not used for personal adornment 127 6. Occurrence and association of precious stones 1 34 (1) Miscellaneous series 134 (2) Diamond-bearing rocks of South Africa 134 (3) Granite-pegmatites and their associated minerals 136 A. The Appalachian pegmatites 137 B. The Mesa Grande, California, pegmatites 138 Appendices: 1. The cutting of gem stones 141 2. Gems mentioned in the Bible 147 3. Mystical properties of gems 151 Birth stones 152 4. Gem and mineral names 179 5. Industrial uses of precious stones 205 6. Tables for the identification of precious stones 209 7. Statistics of production 215 8. Selected bibliography 217 . LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PLATES. Facing page. 1. Portrait of Dr. Isaac Lea Frontispiece. 2. Portrait of Dr. Leander T. Chamberlain 2 3. Mineral Hall, U. S. National Museum 8 4. Benitoite mine, near San Benito Peak, California 12 5. Alluvial sand carrying chrysolite. Navajo Indian Reservation, Arizona 30 6. Sapphire mine, Fergus County, Montana 35 7. Semi-precious stones 43 Fig. 1, Lapis-lazuli; 2, chlorastrolite; 3, malachite; 4, 5, silicitied wood; 6, thomsonite; 7, crocidolite; 8, bloodstone; 9, amazonstone; 10, jasper; 11, unakite. 8. Open cut emerald mine, now abandoned, near Shelby, North Carolina 54 9. Monarch opal mine, Virgin Valley, Humboldt County, Nevada 73 10. Tourmaline and feldspar mine, Auburn, Maine 107 11. Turquoise mine, near Cerrillos, New Mexico 113 12. Variscite, turquoise, chrysoprase, and jade 115 Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, variscite; 5, chrysoprase; 9, 11, jade; 10, 12, 13, 14, turquoise. 13. Variscite in matrix, Variscite mine, near Lucin, Utah 121 14. South African diamond mine 134 TEXT FIGURES. Page. 1 Shell cameo 19 2. Banded Agate 20 3. Moss Agates 26 4. Corundum crystals 32 5. Diamond crystals, enlarged. From Gardner F. Williams Collection 44 6. Garnets, in matrix 56 7. Malachite and azurite 71 8. Baroque pearls 77 9. Large amethystine quartz 82 10. Quartz containing rutile needles 84 11. Staurolites, or Fairy stones 102 12. Topaz crystal in matrix 104 13. Chinese carving in turquoise 114 14. Moss agates in rough and cut forms 121 15. Lizard carved in opal on limonite 132 16. The Brilliant 142 17. The Double Brilliant 143 18. The Half Brilliant 143 19. The Trap Brilliant 143 20. The Portuguese Cut 144 21. The Star Cut 144 22. The Rose Cut 144 23. Trap Cut 145 24. The Step Brilliant Cut 145 25. Table Cut 145 26. The Cabochon Cut 146 VIII HANDBOOK AND DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF THE COLLECTIONS OF GEMS AND PRECIOUS STONES IN THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. By George P. Merrill Head Curator of Geology, United States National Museum ASSISTED BY Margaret W. Moodey and Edgar T. Wherry 1. HISTORY AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE COLLECTION.