Pulling out a rock in attempt to find a pocket of Herkimer Diamonds| Photo by Jasper Bateman
When most people hear the name “Herkimer Diamonds,” nothing really important comes to mind. Most people assume that it’s just a type of diamond that grows a certain way.
Well, if that’s what you are assuming, you are half right. Herkimer Diamonds aren’t diamonds at all, despite the name, but they do grow in a very special way.
Herkimer Diamonds are actually double-terminated quartz crystals that specifically grow in or around Herkimer County in the Mohawk Valley region of New York.
These crystals formed roughly 500 million years ago when the region was covered by a shallow sea where mineral-rich sediments slowly hardened into the dolomite rock where the crystals are found today.
There are multiple mines in the area where you can find these crystals, ranging from places for more non-experienced people where you’ll find very small crystals at surface level, to places for more experienced people with professional equipment to move and break open rocks to find the pockets these crystals grow in.
A small to medium sized Herkimer Diamond| Photo by Alex Bucknam
Now, I’m not going to go into the deep geological formation and history of how these crystals form, but it’s unlikely they are forming currently.
The history of Herkimer Diamonds dates back much further than modern mining. Evenbefore European settlers arrived, despite what many websites will tell you.
It’s important to note that while many websites say European settlers discovered these crystals in the early 1800s, this was actually more of a rediscovery. Indigenous peoples in the region were already aware of the crystals and had been using them for generations.
The first Dutch settlers that came to the land also became aware of the crystals.
The Mohawk Valley was home to the Kanienʼkehá꞉ka (gah-nyen-geh-HAH-ga) people, often nowadays called the Mohawk people, one of the nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
The Kanienʼkehá꞉ka people were the first to discover the crystals, and incorporate it into their culture.
These crystals became symbolically important to the first peoples of the region. Archaeological and historical accounts suggest the crystals were used as ornaments, amulets, tools and trade items between different Indigenous nations.
An amulet is defined as an “object, such as a charm, gem or written symbol, worn to protect the bearer against evil, danger, disease or witchcraft, or to bring good fortune.”
The Kanyen’kehaka people recognized that these were crystals and referred to them in connection with their homeland, Kanyenka, which some scholars note might translate back to “land of the crystals,” with Kanyen’kehaka potentially also translating to “people of the crystals.”
European colonizers in the area knew of the Kanyen’kehaka people trading these crystals but often did not trade with them, as fur and other goods were more valuable to them.
The history and knowledge of these crystals started to slowly decline as Dutch colonizers traded mass-produced glass beads, which started to replace the crystals.
Unlike barter trading, where parties trade and depart, Europeans sought permanent ownership of the land. They achieved this through misleading treaties and by forcibly removing the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) people from their territory
By the late 1700s and early 1800s, much of the Mohawk Valley was under European control, and many Kanienʼkehá꞉ka people had been displaced or pushed north into Canada or onto smaller territories within New York.
In the late 1700s and into the 1800s, workers cutting into dolomite rock in the Mohawk River Valley uncovered large numbers of the double-terminated quartz crystal. Because of their clarity and natural faceting, they began calling them “Herkimer Diamonds” after the county they were in.
Initially, many people thought they had actually discovered real diamonds due to their shape and sparkle. Geologists eventually proved they were quartz crystals rather than carbon diamonds, but the name stuck.
This is the point in time where they started to become more nationally known, and started to attract tourists and rock enthusiasts.
While similar double-terminated quartz crystals have been found in other places around the world, the crystals found in Herkimer County are what gave the name its origin and reputation.
Today, Herkimer Diamonds remain one of the most unique natural treasures of the Mohawk Valley, attracting collectors, geologists and tourists from around the world.
If you want to find these crystals for yourselves, it’s important to find out what areas are best for your experience level.
If you don’t have any rock equipment, I recommend going to Ace of Diamonds, as this area is easier for people who aren’t familiar with how to professionally find crystals.
Ace of Diamonds is easy for a fun family event that just wants to surface dig and find the smaller crystals.
Now, if you are like me and are familiar with how to use certain equipment and have your own, I highly recommend going to Diamond Mountain. This area is where I have found my more medium-sized crystals.
It’s $100 to dig all day, but workers do show you the areas where more crystals have been found in the most recent weeks.
Despite the $100, it’s very easy to get your money’s worth, and you have the whole day to do so. You also park your car close to the dig sites, so it’s easy to go back and forth to get food and anything else you need.
Photo Credit: Featured Photo By Heather Bateman