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Herkimer diamonds are the name given to double terminated quartz crystals found in the central NY county of Herkimer. Starting in the early 18th century, workers began finding large quantities of this rock in the exposed dolomite near the Mohawk River Valley. Mining soon commenced and these beautiful stones have been used in jewelry designs ever since.
Are they diamonds? No, they are double terminated quartz with 18 natural facets. These crystals were formed during the Carboniferous Period, dating these rocks to 300 million years ago. They were created when acidic waters leaked into cavities within the dolomite bedrocks. At 7.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, they are hard enough to be cut and shaped in various designs but are often set as is due to their naturally occurring facets and beauty. They are called “diamonds” for their clarity and natural facets, though they lack the depth, brilliance, and value of the diamond. And unlike real diamonds, they are mined above ground where as diamonds are retrieved from far deeper within the Earth’s crust.
Some sources claim they are found in other areas; this is incorrect. While double terminated quartz are not unique to the region- they are found all over the world including China, Ukraine, and Norway- only those from this area in NY can be correctly labeled Herkimer diamonds.
While you can find Herkimer Diamond jewelry on various sites including Amazon and Etsy, the best source is at the mine itself. Visit Herkimerdiamond.com for information on visiting the mine and mining for the stones yourself. Keep what you find and there is even a design studio for setting the pieces in finished jewelry. In the end you have a great piece of jewelry you created yourself and a great adventure too!
Photo Credits: :James St. John, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
