Diamond in the rough?

[wondertuckian]

Whatcha think? One of the crystals and the rock it came from.

 

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[wondertuckian]

Maybe this helps.
They're small, but there are a few.

 

[huntsman53]

They don't have the sheen of Diamonds but that doesn't always mean they are not. I really believe that they are what are called Herkimer Diamonds (actually double terminated Quartz). If that is what they are and if they were fairly clear (not cloudy), they would fetch some decent prices.

https://www.google.com/search?q=her...ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMIkZ-M3sH_xgIVBGg-Ch0HIwUu

herkimer diamond | eBay


Frank

 

[wondertuckian]

They don't have the sheen of Diamonds but that doesn't always mean they are not. I really believe that they are what are called Herkimer Diamonds (actually double terminated Quartz). If that is what they are and if they were fairly clear (not cloudy), they would fetch some decent prices.

https://www.google.com/search?q=her...ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMIkZ-M3sH_xgIVBGg-Ch0HIwUu

herkimer diamond | eBay


Frank

I'm reasonably sure that they're not quartz, as I can scratch beryl with them.

 

[rodoconnor]

Maybe sapphires

 

[wondertuckian]

The host rock looks like some pics I've seen of kimberlite. The surface was rough and angular, so I don't think it traveled far. I could be wrong. I do know that there is a lamprophyre about 30 miles northeast of me. Whether or not this is a piece of it, I really don't know, but it's entirely possible that glaciers could have deposited it.
Along with diamonds found in that lamprophyre, there were also zircon, spinel and purple, red and orange pyrope garnets. The spinel and zircon are described as "Various spinels are present in the heavy mineral concentrates. Some are reasonably Cr-rich, with up to 58 wl% Cr203 plus appreciable MgO and A12O3. Other spinels include magnetite and titanomagnetite. Coarse honey-yellow to orange-brown zircon crystals are quite common.These grains are typically anhedral, rarely subhedral, and are mantled by fine-grained reaction products, possibly baddeleyite." To my knowledge there haven't been any sapphires found here.
I'm thinking maybe spinel or diamond. I've taken these to a couple gemologists, one couldn't or wouldn't even say what she thought they were, and the other was leaning toward zircon. I'm going to pick up a cheap microscope attachment for my phone and will see if I can get some better pics.

 

[niffler]

Maybe Zircon?

 

[wondertuckian]

Got some cleaned up a little better and took a couple pics outside in the sunlight.

 

[search and recovery]

Buy a diamond tester off of EBay. About $30. That should answer your question as to if they are diamonds.

 

[huntsman53]

Buy a diamond tester off of EBay. About $30. That should answer your question as to if they are diamonds.

Will a Diamond Tester even work on an uncut, raw and clouded Diamond?


Frank

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Will a Diamond Tester even work on an uncut, raw and clouded Diamond?


Frank

Yup,,,,a diamond tester works by testing the heat conductivity of the stone.
Jim

 

[wondertuckian]

Yup,,,,a diamond tester works by testing the heat conductivity of the stone.
Jim

When testing a loose diamond, is it normal to hold it between your thumb and forefinger? And how will that affect the reading?
I went to a local jeweler & the guy tested it that way, just seems like that would insulate the stone & cause a false reading.
But, what do I know?

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I'm not sure how it works. I think the idea is the laser sends heat into the stone. How fast the stone dissipates that heat determines the type of stone. Diamonds dissipate heat very fast....they're a high conductor of heat. That's why they're called "ice". Hold one against your lip and they feel cold....the diamond is dissipating the heat from your lip, so that spot on your lip feels cold. I doubt the affect of fingers on the stone would make any difference....no more than the stone being in contact with the warm air.
Jim