Curious: Are these 100% natural or grown in a lab? Any idea?

[PamDF]

I was told they are naturally formed quartz, they don't look polished, but I hear one can grow quartz in lab nowadays to any shape and size they want?

 

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[DDancer]

Those are Herkimer Diamonds, a natural quartz crystal.
Here is a Wiki link : Herkimer diamond - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lab grown crystals are very uniform and nearly flawless. I can tell what ya have at a glance Have some myself and have made jewelry with them. Good size crystals there.

 

[mamabear]

Yup, what DDancer said.

 

[G Freeman]

DDancer is right on.

 

[huntsman53]

Double terminated Herkimer Diamonds can be quite valuable, especially if they are fairly clean (i.e. have very little inclusions and/or very little carbon or other trash in them and are not damaged).


Frank

 

[JLeonhardy]

Count me on Team Dancer!

Herks generally go for about $5 a carat for included ones. You have some that appear to be amazingly eye clean -- maybe $7 to $10 a carat!

 

[StoneWhisper]

Thou these samples seem a bit to perfect, I will agree that they are Herkimer Diamonds..

 

[PamDF]

Thanks

 

[PamDF]

Count me on Team Dancer!

Herks generally go for about $5 a carat for included ones. You have some that appear to be amazingly eye clean -- maybe $7 to $10 a carat!

OMG "THAT" valuable?! sounds like I should stock up on them or sth (Just kidding) I already got over a hundred of them.. for 1 yuan (RMB) each, but they are so small the 100+ are put in a lil box that can fit into my palm, I also posted them on facebook and someone told me these may be from Afghanistan instead of New York, that explains the price..

 

[StoneWhisper]

The wife and I were planing a trip to Herkimer one day.. but have been distracted, But that say the best time to goto the mine is just after a dig and after it's rain and about early morning.. Because one doesn't have to actually dig for them the can be seen with the naked eye just walking around.

 

[PamDF]

OMG lucky you... have you been to that huge crystal cave they found in US a couple years ago? with crystals as big as houses down there

 

[StoneWhisper]

If you're referring to this one: Cave of the Crystals or Giant Crystal Cave (Spanish: Cueva de los Cristales) is a cave connected to the Naica Mine 300 metres (980 ft) below the surface in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. No I have not and this article has been run into the ground.. Last I heard the cave was closed off and flooded. Just one of those once in a life time occurrences.

 

[DDancer]

Pam,
The location might be important to a collector but pricing is going to be upto what someone wants to pay for it make some jewelry out of them and you'll do well or sell them as curiosities. Either way they are some nice specimens.

 

[PamDF]

Pam,
The location might be important to a collector but pricing is going to be upto what someone wants to pay for it make some jewelry out of them and you'll do well or sell them as curiosities. Either way they are some nice specimens.

Thanks Well for now I prefer to just collect them the way they are according to the wiki page they might even be from Tibet! I have been there and saw none of those in local shops though,

 

[huntsman53]

Pam,
The location might be important to a collector but pricing is going to be upto what someone wants to pay for it make some jewelry out of them and you'll do well or sell them as curiosities. Either way they are some nice specimens.

I agree! Herkimer Diamonds are found in many locations and no matter where they are found, due to the crystal structure (i.e. double terminated), I believe they are all considered Herkimer Diamonds. We used to collect them here on Douglas Lake. As the water levels of the lake go up and down and due to wind and wave action, the Quartz crystals are being dislodged from layers of decomposing Quartz deposits in and around the lake. Some folks collect them from Douglas Lake, clean them up, sell them to tourists at the local Flea Markets and get decent money for them.


Frank

 

[PamDF]

......We used to collect them here on Douglas Lake. As the water levels of the lake go up and down and due to wind and wave action, the Quartz crystals are being dislodged from layers of decomposing Quartz deposits in and around the lake......

Lucky you, the city where I live in produce about no gems... well if there are any the 10 million ppl living here would have grabbed them

 

[littleneckhalfshell]

I have dug Herkimer Diamonds in one of the pay to mine places near Herkimer NY.
You can find them on the surface, but the really good ones are found in vugs or water filled clay lined pockets in the rock.
If you have a long skinny hand/arm and can find a opening, you can sometimes get to diamonds that the person who opened the vug couldn't reach. The water in the pocket is cold and you sort of lose some of the sensation in your fingers, but can usually feel the glass like surface of the gems, but you can also find that you cut your fingers on some sharp shattered crystals. You pull your hand out of the hole and it is covered in the gray clay and then you see little areas of red where your blood is leaking though the clay.
but also in your had is a handful of Herkimer Diamonds! Sometimes they are tinged with rust, this can be removed with Oxalic acid, but it is dangerous to use as it can get into your system though bare skin. My biggest crystal is roughly the size of a golf ball, but it is the smaller clear ones that you can impress people with by spilling them out onto a piece of black velvet cloth and play diamond merchant ;-)

 

[PamDF]

OMG you are an expert in this field^ ^