Geological Survey

“ Numerous fishhawks are seen busily plying their vocation, sailing high above the waters, and yet a thousand feet below the spectator. In the clefts of the rocks, hundreds of feet down, bald eagles have their eyries, from which we can see them swooping still further into the depths to rob the ospreys of their hard-earned trout. ”

“ Diamond, corundum (ruby and sapphire) , beryl (emerald and aquamarine) , topaz, and opal are generally classed as precious stones. All other gemstones are usually classed as semiprecious.
A mineral is any naturally formed homogeneous inorganic material.
A mineralogist is a person who studies the formation, occurrence, properties, composition, and classification of minerals.
A gemologist is a person who has successfully completed recognized courses in gemology (the science and study of gemstones) and has proven skills in identifying and evaluating gem materials. ”

“ However, as in the Senate, the obvious value of the region as a scenic preserve made the task of the park’s advocates an easy one. The bill was readily passed with 115 yeas to 65 nays, and 60 not voting.
On March 1, 1872, President Grant signed the bill into law establishing the Yellowstone region as a public park, thus setting a major conservation precedent. The Nation had its first National Park; an area of unique beauty was set aside for the enjoyment of generations to come, and a tradition of preserving other such areas was established. ”

“ Gemstones Searching for gemstones in the United States is a popular recreational activity for collectors and hobbyists
2 Natural gemstones
A natural gemstone is a mineral, stone, or organic matter that can be cut and polished or otherwise treated for use as jewelry or other ornament. A precious gemstone has beauty, durability, and rarity, whereas a semiprecious gemstone has only one or two of these qualities. A gem is a gemstone that has been cut and polished. ”

“ The peaks in the distance are composed of massive granites, while the rocks in the foreground are limestones. For beauty as well as grandeur, no description can convey any adequate idea of it.
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Camp at the Mouth of Teton Canyon. This camp is in the Teton Canyon, and West of the Teton Range, just ten miles by Triangulation to the summit of the Grand Teton. The trees are all pines and firs. As the sun rises in the morning immediately back of the peaks, it invests them with remarkable beauty. The scenery along the Teton River is rugged and most attractive. ”

“ The silicious deposits around the crater are marvels of beauty. The Madison River can be seen in the distance and also the geysers in operation.
Hot Springs and Castle Geyser. The spring in the foreground is in all respects the most beautiful one in the National Park. The ornamental rim is nearly circular, being about twenty-two feet. The depth is unknown. When the rays of the sun fall nearly vertically on the almost unnaturally transparent waters, all the colors of the prism are produced. ”

“ Inexperienced buyers must take whatever steps are needed to ensure that gems they intend to purchase are exactly what the seller purports them to be and that they are being offered at a fair market price. ”

“ Panoramic View of the Valley of the Yellowstone. This group of three pictures from a panoramic view of what is regarded by visitors to that region as the most beautiful and symmetrical range of mountains in America. The summits of the peaks are covered with snow more or less the year round, and can be seen for eighty to one hundred miles in every direction. ”

“ Each coral polyp, a tiny marine animal that lives in enormous colonies, extracts calcium carbonate from the sea and exudes it to build a protective home around and above itself. Each generation of polyps dies in its protective home and each succeeding generation builds on top of its predecessor. ”

“ It doubtless operates much like one of our artificial fountains, throwing up a column of water several feet, by a succession of impulses, building up a cone by overlapping layers of lime, like the thatch on the roof. The cone is forty-two feet high and about twenty-five feet in diameter at its base. When the hydrostatic force begins to abate, the cone is gradually closed up at the summit, as is shown in the photograph. These dead springs or geysers are a common feature in the park, and are called, in the language of Iceland a “laug.” ”

“ Each environment tends to have a characteristic suite of gem materials, but many kinds of gems occur in more than one environment. Most gemstones are found in igneous rocks and alluvial gravels, but sedimentary and metamorphic rocks may also contain gem materials. ”

“ Examining the mud-springs and geysers was hazardous business and could be a painful experience, as Hayden discovered: “The entire surface is perfectly bare of vegetation and hot, yielding in many places to slight pressure. ”

“ Aquamarine, Brazil.
5 Mineral gemstones
Hardness and specific gravity are two of the major characteristics of gemstones.
Hardness of a gemstone is its resistance to scratching and may be described relative to a standard scale of 10 minerals known as the Mohs scale. F. Mohs, an Austrian mineralogist, developed this scale in 1822.
According to Mohs’ scale, the hardness of—
Specific gravity is the number of times heavier a gemstone of any volume is than an equal volume of water ”

“ However, the flow of money into the local economy by paying these small fees and by the purchase of gemstones is minor compared to the money the enthusiasts spend for lodging and other living expenses while visiting an area to dig for gemstones. ”

“ Check the phone book for your nearest rock and mineral shop and talk to the owners.
Role of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
The USGS reports deposits that seem likely to contain gemstones. It is not a function of the USGS to exploit such resources.
USGS geologists perform continuing research on kimberlites, the initial source of diamonds. Not all kimberlites are diamond-bearing, and some of the research is directed to learning what indications you look for during exploration to distinguish fertile from barren kimberlite. ”

“ On December 18, 1871, a bill was introduced simultaneously in the Senate, by Senator Pomeroy of Kansas, and in the House of Representatives by Congressman Clagett of Montana, for the establishment of a park at the headwaters of the Yellowstone River. The bill in each case was referred to the respective Committees on Public Lands. ”

“ Gemstones: Value of U.S. production vs. imports, 1986 and 1989 [1]
[1] Estimated.
[2] Including freshwater pearls natural, and cultured.
[3] Imports - exports + adjustments for Government and industry stock changes. Source: Mineral Commodity Summaries, 1991, U.S. Bureau of Mines. U.S. production of commercial gems includes agate, beryl, freshwater pearl, garnet, jade, jasper, mother-of-pearl, opal, peridot, quartz, sapphire, tourmaline, and turquoise.
Except for the few gem diamonds found each year in Arkansas, U.S. diamond production is very low. ”

“ It is only a calcareous spring that can form so curious and lofty a cone as this.
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Lower Falls of the Yellowstone. A more distant view of the falls. The photograph however, conveys but a dim conception of the ruggedness of the surroundings.
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Lower Falls of the Yellowstone. About a fourth of a mile below the upper falls, the waters of the Yellowstone take a much more fearful leap, making a clear descent of three hundred and fifty feet. There is probably not a more beautiful sight in existence than the falls with the Grand Canyon below. The rocks are mostly volcanic. ”

“ The photographs in this section of the booklet were selected from those taken by William Henry Jackson during Hayden’s second Yellowstone Expedition in 1872, and reproduced from U. S. Corps of Engineers negatives maintained by the National Archives. Jackson, considered one of the foremost photographers of the early West, was the first man to photograph and publish many of these scenes of the Yellowstone. Jackson’s own captions describe the photographs on the following pages.
Photography in the field was an arduous affair one hundred years ago. ”

“ Chrysoprase. Moss agate. Plasma. Prase. Sard. Jasper.
Spinel (hardness: 8 Mohs)
Magnesium aluminum oxide
Specific gravity: 3.58-4.06
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Balas ruby: Red
Almandine spinel: Purple red
Rubicelle: Orange
Sapphire spinel and ghanospinel: Blue
Chlorspinel: Green
Candelabra: white quartz, blue-capped red elbaite, and tan albite, California.
Topaz (hardness: 8 Mohs)
Aluminum silicate fluoride hydroxide
Specific gravity: 3.5-3.6
Wine yellow, pale blue, green, violet, or red
Tourmaline (hardness: 7-7.5 Mohs)
Complex aluminum borosilicate (Elbaite, Dravite, Uvite)
Specific gravity: 3.03-3.25 ”

“ The camp is located on one of the remarkable lake-terraces which form an interesting feature of the scenery on the Salt Lake Basin. The Wasatch Mountains, in the background, are about five thousand feet above the camp, and nine thousand five hundred and thirty feet above sea level. ”