PRECIOUS STONES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4771, 3 November 1924, Page 3

PRECIOUS STONES.

GEMS OF THE EMPIRE. SOURCES OF SUPPLY. The British Empire produces annually precious stones far greater in value than. all the other nations put together, and London »is the chief market for-every kind of jewel. Some interesting facts concerning the various sources of supply have been given in an interview with a representative of “The Observer ’ by Mr W. Larkam, managing iirectox - of Claremont, Ltd., dealers in precious stones. Taking diamonds first, practically the whole market at the present time, he said, comes irom South Africa. Some of the finest stones have in the past come from India. There are also Australian, diamonds, and their commercial value is higher now than it was. Owing to their hardness the stones have hitherto been difficult to cut, but modern methods are overcoming .this difficulty.

The next most important stones, sapphires, and their red vaiiety, rubies, come chiefly from Burmah, Cashmere, Ceylon, and Australia. Outside the Empire, Siam and Montana also produce them. Emeralds have a somewhat different relationship to the Empire. Whilst India is the only source of supply within the Empire, practically the only emeralds that are now being mined come from South America. At the present time we are working on, that is to say. recutting, the fine stones which were produced by India (and also by Siberia) perhaps hundreds of years ago. No new supplies are coming from India, but an expedition is starting shortly for the East for the purpose of reexploring .the regions which were worked in past centuries and possibly opening up again the old mines. Garnets come to us from most parts of the world, nad there is only one variety, the Bobrowska green garnet, of Russia, which is not found in British possessions. Most of the finest and rarest stones, including the beautiful Ceylon rose garnet, come from some part of the Empire. Egypt is the home (and Persia also) of the turquoise. Jargoons, or zircons, the beautiful blue variety of which is a new stone on the market since the war. come from Ceylon, the home also of the crygpberyl and the cat’s eye and alexandrite, which belong to the same family. Chinese jade, so fashionable at the present moment, comes from Burmah, and owes its name .to the fact that it is worked by Chinese. Most of the fine rich, red-coloured amber, which is sold as Chinese, .s also found in Burmah. The Empire holds practically the market for pearls. Indian and Australian pearls are unrivalled. From Australia, too, come the finest opals, both black and white varieties, as well as fancy. Even the Mexican fire opal, so called from its brilliant deep red flame colour, is repeated in Australia. Amethysts and the lesser fancy stones come from all parts of the Empire, and from all ports of the world for that matter. The only fancy stone of any importance which Is not found in British Possessions is the

yellow topaz, which comes principally from Brazil. White and blue topaz fs found in Ceylon and Australia. With the exception of diamonds, which are cut in Holland, though many are now also cut at Brighton, the finest of all precious stones are cut or recut in London.