For some years past a large quantity of sapphires have come into the market from Montana, U.S.A., especially from the gem-district about twelve miles west of Helena. The commonest colour is a bluish green, generally pale, but blue, green, yellow and occasionally red stones are also found; they are characterized by their almost metallic lustre. With them are associated gold, colourless topaz, kyanite, and a beautiful red garnet which is found in grains and usually mistaken for ruby. Rubies are also found in limestone at Cowee Creek, North Carolina. Blue and red corundum, of rather poor quality, has come from the Sanarka River, near Troitsk, and from Miask, in the Government of Orenburg, Russia, and similar stones have been known at Campolongo, St. Gothard, Switzerland. The prolific gem-district near Anakie, Queensland, supplies examples of every known variety of corundum except ruby; blue, green, yellow, and parti-coloured stones, and also star-stones, are plentiful. Leaf-green corundum is known father south, in Victoria. The Australian sapphire is too dark to be of much value. Small rubies and sapphires are found in the gem-gravels near the Somabula Forest, Rhodesia. CHAPTER XX BERYL (_Emerald_, _Aquamarine_, _Morganite_) The species to be considered in this chapter includes the varieties emerald and aquamarine, as well as what jewellers understand by beryl. It has many incontestable claims on the attention of all lovers of the beautiful in precious stones. The peerless emerald (Plate I, Fig. 5), which in its verdant beauty recalls the exquisite lawns that grace the courts and quadrangles of our older seats of learning, ranks to-day as the most costly of jewels. Its sister stone, the lovely aquamarine (Plate I, Fig. 4), which seems to have come direct from some mermaid’s treasure-house in the depths of a summer sea, has charms not to be denied. Pliny, speaking of this species, truly says, “There is not a colour more pleasing to the eye”; yet he knew only the comparatively inferior stones from Egypt, and possibly from the Ural Mountains. Emeralds are favourite ring-stones, and would, no doubt, be equally coveted for larger articles of jewellery did not the excessive cost forbid, and nothing could be more attractive for a central stone than a choice aquamarine of deep blue-green hue. Emeralds are usually step-cut, though Indian lapidaries often favour the _en cabochon_ form; aquamarines, on the other hand, are brilliant-cut in front and step-cut at the back.