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^[[Geol]]

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The Vetlesen Jade collection.-  One of the world's finest collections of Chinese jade carvings was presented to the Smithsonian Institution on February 5, 1959.  The collection, made over a period of many years by Mrs. Maude Monell Vetlesen of New York, was presented on behalf of her estate by her son and executor, Mr. Edmund C. Monell.

The collection comprises of 130 pieces, carved in one or the other of the two jade minerals, nephrite or jadeite.  Each piece is of superb quality.  Some specimens date from the Ming Dynasty, but most are from the Ching Dynasty (1644-1912).

Minerals.-  Many fine and rare minerals were received as gifts from individuals.  Among the important gifts are:  Genthelvite, Colorado, from Glenn R. Scott; opal, Nevada, from Mark C. Bandy; jade, Burma, from Martin L. Ehrmann; milky quartz crystals, Colorado, from E. M. Gunnel; gorceixite, French Equatorial Africa, from Mahlon Miller; spangolite, Arizona, from Arch Oboler; and clinohedrite and roeblingite, New Jersey, from John S. Albanese.

Many excellent mineral specimens were received in exchange.  Outstanding among these are:  A fine group of heubnerite crystals from Colorado; rhodochrosite from Montana; exceptionally fine crystals of the rare mineral phosphophyllite from Bolivia; datolite from Connecticut; and a large sphalerite crystal from Missouri.
 
Newly described species received in exchange were:  Jagoite from Sweden; vandendriesscheite from Australia; eskolaite from Finland; p-veatchite from Germany; dalyite from Ascension Island; and bonchevite from Bulgaria.

Among material received as transfers from other government agencies is a new mineral, ningyoite, from Japan, from the U. S. Geological Survey.