HerkimerHistory.com
The best website on "Herkimer Diamonds"
This site was last updated on December 28, 2008
Definitions and Scope:
Information and Mineral Sequence for Diamond Acres, Fonda, NY
Diamond Acres is the area that this author has visited the most, going back to the early 1970's. More than 40 "pockets" of crystals have been discovered over the decades and several different mineral zones explored resulting in a large Herkimer collection. The examination of this collection gathered, plus many field trips to collect specimens looking for the "missing links", and wisdom from "old timers", has resulted in the mineral sequence diagram below. There are also photos, maps, and resources for the collector wishing to go digging for diamonds.
It is a sharper image and easier to read
This Herkimer diamond deposit has a small fee for collecting. It also has areas where people have paid to "stake a claim". You may not collect on other people's claims without their permission.
A public service project always open to input from the community interested in Herkimer diamonds.
Photographs illustrating each mineralization phase:
"In place" pocket and location photographs:
Maps and Directions:
Tip and resources for diamond digging at this location:
For now - Go to the Minerals link at the top of the page
For now - Go to the Crystals link at the top of the page
For now go here ->
For now go here ->
Information is currently being collected for this webpage.
Web page author - W. David Hoisington, Ph.D.
Photographs of "common" crystal habits largely unique to this location:
These are two photos sent in of a Herkimer crystal group specimen, locally called "goonies". What is nice about these two photos is that they show the "common" habit for the larger quartz crystals at this location - which are also unique to this location.
The photo on the right is the top view of the above specimen (which showed the bottom view). Note that the faces are mostly flat and shiny. The holes directly facing once had dolostone in them like shown in the above picture, indicating a contact with the host rock. The crystal contains many internal fractures creating "rainbows" and there are patches of smoky color. All these features are characteristic for this location - as is the size 10 inches along the length of the specimen! (25 cm)
Notice the rounded off sandy dolostone on the photo to the left. This is the bottom where the crystal made contact with the cavity in which it "grew" and it is characteristic for this location. Thanks to Linda Grindstaff (2008) for both of the photos.