gems, corundum, Montana.12, USA.12, pearls, gem dictionary, glossary

An annual review of the United States gem and precious-stone industry for 1917, followed by an extensive glossary of gemological nomenclature. Domestic production was valued at $131,012, a sharp decline from 1916 and, except for 1914, the lowest annual value since 1897. Corundum, quartz, turquoise, and tourmaline together accounted for 83% of production, with Montana leading chiefly through sapphire, followed by Nevada and California. Imports of precious stones excluding pearls were valued at $34.85 million. Most of the paper is devoted to a two-part dictionary of gem names: first identifying the mineral species represented by hundreds of commercial, historical, and local names, and then listing the corresponding names under their correct mineral species. Schaller strongly criticizes misleading trade names such as “Alaska diamond” for quartz and “Arizona ruby” for garnet, emphasizing that such terminology obscures the true mineralogical identity of gemstones. The glossary is particularly valuable as a contemporary record of early twentieth-century gem nomenclature, including numerous obsolete, regional, and deceptive commercial names.