Field book of common rocks and minerals : $b for identifying the rocks and minerals of the United States and interpreting their origins and meaningsLoomis, Frederic Brewster
Science
Field book of common rocks and minerals : $b for identifying the rocks and minerals of the United States and interpreting their origins and meanings
Loomis, Frederic Brewster
Minerals -- United States; Rocks -- United States
Like the diamond graphite is pure carbon, but in this case it is in
non-crystalline form. It occurs in both igneous and metamorphic rocks.
In the former case it is either in flakes in the rock, or in veins, and
has been derived directly from the molten magmas, having either
precipitated in the hardening granite or lava, or having been carried
into the fissures and there precipitated to make the veins of graphite.
In either case the graphite probably represents organic deposits which
have been melted into the igneous magma at the time of its formation.
Graphite may also occur in metamorphic rocks, beds of coal or other
organic deposits being altered by the heat. Such beds are often of
considerable extent and economic importance.
The extreme softness, greasy feel, and the dark-gray streak readily
distinguish graphite.
It is widely used in making crucibles and furnace linings for foundries,
lead pencils, paint, lubricating powders, etc.
Graphite is found at Brandon, Vt., Sturbridge, Mass., Ashford, Conn., in
Essex, Warren and Washington Cos., N. Y., Clay, Chilton and Coosa Cos.,
Ala., Raton, N. M., Dillon, Mont., etc.
Diamond
C
Occurs in octahedral crystals; hardness, 10; specific gravity, 3.5;
colorless to yellow, brown, blue, etc., luster adamantine; transparent
on thin edges.
Like graphite the diamond is pure carbon, but in this case in crystal
form. It is the hardest of all minerals, and as brilliant as any; so
that in spite of being by no means the rarest, it may easily be
considered the most popular of all gems. Tiny diamonds have been made
artificially under great heat and pressure; so that this mineral is
thought of as forming in Nature in dark igneous lavas at great depths.
The diamond has good cleavage parallel to the octahedron faces, and, in
spite of some traditions to the contrary, is brittle.
There are not many diamond localities, the most famous being the
Kimberley district of South Africa, which produces many times as many
diamonds as all the others put together, though all the time some are
being found in Borneo and Brazil. A very few have been found in the
United States, only one locality however yielding them in the original
matrix. That is at Murfreesboro, Ark., where they are mined in a
disintegrating peridotite (a dark lava, mostly peridot), which has been
extruded through the sedimentary rocks of that region. This matrix is
similar to the “blue earth,” the matrix of the diamonds of South Africa,
which occurs in “pipes,” representing the necks of ancient volcanoes.
The American diamonds are of small size, averaging considerably less
than a third of a carat in weight, which does not allow great value to
the individual diamonds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account