Famous jeweler John Wesley Ware (1060 Sixth Ave., San Diego), moved to southern California in 1910 from upstate New York. Upon a prospecting trip to the region around 1913, he stumbled upon the glistening contents of an eroded gem pocket. Ware negotiated a lease from Dr. C. C. Valle of San Diego, and purchased the mine outright in 1914. Subsequently, Ware located two lode mining claims on the deposit, naming them the Emeralite No. 1, and Emeralite No. 2 mines.

See locality: Ware Mine (Gem Mine No. 1; Mountain Lily Mine; Emeralite No. 2), Aguanga Mountain, San Diego Co., California, USA

Reprinted from the bimonthly periodical Gems & Gemology, Vol. I, No. 8, March—April, 1935, pages 218-219, 240pp.
© 1935 *GIA Research Service. The American Gem Society, Los Angeles, California.

The existence of colored tourmaline in Southern California was known as far back as the year 1872, when it was discovered on Thomas Mountain in Riverside County. No active mining was done until 1893, at which time three claims were worked to some extent. These were located some six thousand feet altitude. At this time considerable tourmaline was found in a pegmatite dike about 40 feet wide and of unknown length and depth. Crystals of tourmaline as large as 4 inches in diameter were taken out, some of which were of green outside shell with pink centers, others of red, pink, blue, and colorless.

Pala District—The Home of the Kunzite

In 1892 red tourmaline (rubellite) was discovered in or adjacent to the lithia deposits at Pala, California. In 1902 rich deposits of kunzite, tourmaline, and beryl were discovered in several localities at Pala and the mines were worked for several years with wonderful results.

A most spectacular gem pocket was located in the Pala Chief Mine in one of the tunnels, by following a streak of brown clay (Kaolin) in its varied course through a large deposit of lepidolite. This pocket measured about 3 by 6 feet, and was thickly studded with fine large crystals of kunzite and pink tourmaline—a sight never to be forgotten. The Pala District is very rich in gem minerals and has produced a large amount of kunzite, rubellite, and other colored tourmaline, together with a considerable amount of pink and blue beryl.

LEFT: View in Blue Topaz pocket, 50 feet in length by 20 feet in width. RIGHT: Extracting Blue Topaz from Gem Pocket.

Mesa Grande Deposits

Another discovery of tourmaline of no less importance was made near Mesa Grande, California, in 1898. Here the pegmatite ledge carrying tourmaline of many colors, together with pink beryl, dips into the mountainside at a 37-degree angle, and has now been worked to a depth of 150 feet with most gratifying results. The ledge has produced an estimated amount of 40 tons of tourmaline. Much of the extra fine pink tourmaline on the market has come from this source.

An interesting bit of history connected with these mines lies in the fact that a few children passing through the saddle of this mountain on their way to school picked up some fine crystals of tourmaline and in school called them "Pretty Pencils". This caused search to be made for more such crystals and resulted in the discovery of some of the best producing tourmaline mines in history. However, Indians knew of these tourmaline outcroppings for many years previous.

Precious Blue Topaz

The Mountain Lily Gem Mine (now known and patented as Emeralite Mine No. 2) was discovered in 1902, when gem tourmaline was found on Aguanga Mountain at 5,100 feet elevation. This, unlike the other gem mines of San Diego County, is a blanket ledge of pegmatite showing many sides due to earth movements and differing somewhat in chemical content.

This mine is the property of the author of this article and has been worked under my supervision to the extent of about 2,500 feet of tunnels. The principal production is precious blue topaz, of which the mine has netted several hundred pounds. Crystals of blue topaz ranging from about 1 carat in weight up to 3¼ pounds have been taken out. One crystal, which cut a 17 carat pear-shaped gem, is of an unusually beautiful blue color and has been pronounced by competent authority, including the late George F. Kunz, to be the finest blue topaz in the world.

This mine also produces pink, white, and golden beryls, as well as pink, green, blue, and colorless tourmaline, and emeralite, the beautiful nile green tourmaline of most unusual and pleasing color, for which the mine is named.

Ramona District

The Ramona gem mines, situated slightly over 10 air miles southeast of Mesa Grande, have also produced a quantity of tourmaline, beryl, and hessonite garnets of fine quality.

Due to the depression years just passed and lack of demand, very little gem mining has been done in Southern California, but with increasing demand for gem stones there is no doubt that many of the mines will be put in operation and new ones opened up.

The California Pacific International Exposition will open in San Diego on May 29th, 1935, and the author will have a representative display of San Diego County gem stones in the Palace of Better Housing. Here the public may see a wonderful display of rough and cut tourmalines, beryls, kunzites, and hessonite garnets.