A Herkimer diamond is not a diamond. It is a very clear quartz crystal with a point at each end, first found in Herkimer County, New York.
Quartz (silica) · Quartz
Herkimer Diamond
Diamante de Herkimer
- Palette
- Clear
- Mined in
- United States, Mexico, Spain, Tanzania
- Hardness
- Mohs 7.0 ?
- See-through
- transparent
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- Herkimer County, New York; 'diamond' for their clarity and sharp faces
- Also sold as
- Herkimer quartz, double-terminated quartz
- Intention
- Calm
- Looking for
- Rest and meditation Focus and clarity Hope
- Water
- Fine with water and mild soap
- Dye or finish
- Herkimer diamonds are natural quartz crystals, sold as found and just cleaned.
Not in our pieces now
500 MILLION YEARS
The dolomite rock that holds Herkimer diamonds began forming about 500 million years ago in a shallow sea.
CARBONIFEROUS
Although the host rock is Cambrian, the quartz crystals inside its cavities formed later, in the Carboniferous.
NICHOLAS HERKIMER
Herkimer County, New York, was formed in 1791 and named for General Nicholas Herkimer, who died in 1777 after the Battle of Oriskany.
What it is
Not a diamond: a water-clear quartz crystal with a point at both ends and six sides, named for Herkimer County, New York. It sparkles like a cut stone straight out of the rock, sometimes with a few tiny inclusions.
What gives it its color
Herkimer diamonds are water-clear quartz, and the occasional dark specks inside are a black carbon-rich material called anthraxolite.
Where it comes from
They grow in the Little Falls Dolomite around Herkimer County, New York, with the best digging near Middleville and Little Falls.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today, it is a stone for meditation and quiet focus. People keep it when they want to feel connected to something larger than themselves.
Workmen turned them up in the 1700s while cutting into rock, and the name stuck. People wear one as a pendant or earrings, hold it in the hand, or keep it where they sit and breathe.
How people wear or keep it: As a pendant or earrings, held in the hand, in a meditation corner, or on the wrist.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, herkimer diamond is paired with the crown chakra, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: as a pendant or earrings, held in the hand, in a meditation corner. People reach for it when they want rest and meditation, focus and clarity, hope, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraCrown
ZodiacAries, Sagittarius
Also calledHerkimer quartz, double-terminated quartz
Care
- Quartz is hard (7) and sturdy, fine for everyday wear.
- Clean with mild soapy water and a soft cloth, then dry.
- The sharp points can chip if knocked, so store it apart from harder stones and avoid dropping it.
How to tell what you have
- They are not diamonds. They are clear quartz crystals with a point at both ends, hardness 7, with natural flat faces and sometimes tiny inclusions.
- Double-terminated quartz from other places is also sold as Herkimer, so the name tells you the look more than the origin.
- Perfect, bubble-free, machine-sharp faces can mean glass or lab-grown crystal.
What sets the price
Price follows how clear the crystal is, how well-formed its faces are, and its size. Many double-terminated quartz crystals are sold as Herkimer diamonds regardless of where they were found.
Rules and sourcing
Herkimer diamonds are natural quartz crystals, not diamond. Under the FTC jewelry guides a seller should say they are quartz crystals.
Related stones
Questions people ask at our table
Is a Herkimer diamond a real diamond?
No. It is quartz, the same mineral as clear quartz, about 7 on the Mohs scale. A diamond is carbon and 10. The name comes from its diamond-like sparkle.
Why does it have points at both ends?
It grew freely inside pockets in rock, so it could form a point on each end instead of attaching to a wall. That is called double-terminated.
Where do Herkimer diamonds come from?
The original source is Herkimer County in New York. Similar crystals from other places, such as Mexico and Tanzania, are often sold under the same name.
Is it natural?
Yes, and it is usually left uncut because the natural faces are already bright. Glass and cut rock crystal are sometimes sold as Herkimer; natural ones show tiny surface marks.
How is it different from clear quartz?
Same mineral, but a Herkimer is a short, double-pointed, very clear crystal, while most clear quartz comes as a point on one end or as tumbled beads.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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