Quartz

specimen number:
2292471

location:
Herkimer Co., New York, USA

description:
A loose glassy gem colorless crystal of quartz. Double terminated and in very good condition with no points of attachment. These are known locally as Herkimer diamonds.

The Herkimer County region in upstate New York has a rich history rooted in stone quarrying, local lime production, and recreational mineral collecting that dates back to the nineteenth century. Geologically, the area is characterized by exposed outcrops of the Upper Cambrian Little Falls Dolostone, a sedimentary rock formation that accumulated in shallow marine environments over five hundred million years ago. Within this dolostone, small cavities or vugs formed through replacement and dissolution processes. These vugs became coated with silica-bearing hydrothermal fluids that crystallized slowly over millions of years, producing exceptionally clear, double-terminated quartz crystals known popularly as Herkimer diamonds, frequently accompanied by minor pockets of carbonaceous matter, pyrite, and dolomite.

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