How to Find Herkimer Diamonds
Found in Herkimer County, New York, Herkimer diamonds actually consist of doubly terminated quartz crystals found in the area's dolostone deposits. Your best bet for finding the crystals requires spending time searching at one of the area's two commercial mines. For a small fee, you can spend the day looking for the crystals among the rocks and debris already lying on the ground. Or, to find the most crystals, plan to break chunks of rock out of the quarry walls and look for cavities containing the crystals. It's hard work, but you get to keep all the crystals you find.
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Things You'll Need
- Hammer
- Sledge hammer
- Wedges
- Chisels
- Pry bar
- Safety glasses
- Gloves
- Collecting container
- Drinking water
Instructions
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Drive to either the Ace of Diamonds Mine or the Crystal Grove Diamond Mine, and pay your fee to enter the mine.
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Look in the quarry walls for cavities or fractures in the rock.
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Use your sledge hammer and wedges or a pry bar to crack open any fractures you find.
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Examine the chunks of rock you break off for cavities; if you see cavities, use your chisels to carefully break off small pieces of rock so you can reach any crystals in the cavity.
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If you don't see any cavities in the rock, break off more rock from the quarry wall until you find pieces with cavities. You may need to look for a new fracture to start working on if the rocks produce no cavities.
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Once you've chiseled away enough small chunks of rock to see the crystals, safely pack the rock in your collecting container. Once you get home or back to your campsite, you can clean off the rock and crystals with a gentle stream of water to see what surprises await you.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask the mine owners to help you find the best spot to start looking for crystals.
When you first reach the mine, familiarize yourself with what the vugs and cavities look like by searching the ground for broken rocks You can further break these chunks open, to see if crystals can be found inside. Also, watch for loose crystals on the ground.
Avoid eye accidents: make sure you wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from flying shards when breaking open the rock.
Avoid sharp edges: wear gloves to protect your hands from the sharp edges of both the rocks and the crystals.
