Specifications
Beschreibung
Locality: Herkimer County, New York, U.S.A.
Description: Herkimer diamonds are not diamonds at all. They are double-terminated quartz crystals, named for their unusual clarity and their sharp, naturally faceted faces. They come from the Little Falls Dolostone of New York's Mohawk Valley, a rock laid down about 495 to 500 million years ago, in the Cambrian, on the floor of a shallow sea at the edge of the ancient Adirondacks.
That sea floor trapped quartz sand, pyrite and waxy organic material inside the carbonate rock. Over about 200 million years the rock was slowly buried, reaching about 5 km deep and temperatures near 175 °C. Acidic water dissolved pockets, called vugs, and the organic material released dissolved silica very slowly, letting clear quartz grow. Many crystals grew floating in mud inside the pockets, which is why they have points at both ends. The black specks sometimes seen inside are remnants of that ancient organic matter.
Workmen cutting into the Mohawk Valley dolomite in the late 18th century found the crystals in large numbers. The first sites were at Middleville and Little Falls, so they are also called Middleville or Little Falls diamonds. Single pockets up to a metre across have held as many as 1,000 crystals.
In crystal traditions, Herkimer diamonds are associated with creativity and dream recall.
Chakra: Crown
Chemical Composition: SiO2
Pieces: 1
Approximate size for 1 piece: 6mm x 2mm x 2mm
Approximate weight for 1 piece: 0.3 ct
We do our best to buy quality products- although not every rock is the same. If you choose to purchase the "staff pick option", we will select the best of the batch for you. Otherwise, it will be at random from the larger batch we have in stock.