Herkimer Diamonds Hottest weekend Finds

Detectorist143

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Jul 10, 2017
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New York
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Teknetics patriot, Tesoro silver Umax and a BH 101 Hey Who was laughing? With 8" & 10" coils..
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Hi all,
Just got back from another treasure hunt this time at Herkimer diamond mine. So the hottest weekend of the year in New York. I spent almost 8 hours over two days. Breaking rocks open looking for pockets and of course the crystals. So after breaking my wedges. I start busting up some rocks with heavy calcite deposits
Also any rocks with carbon showing. Those rocks tend to look really nasty. I find the uglier the rock the more chance on finding something inside.
So here the haul:
Over 80 Crystals in all. The two largest are just under
9 mm. One out of the matrix.
The other still in place with friends all around another crystal , calcite and carbon deposits.
The loose stones are numerous but most under 5mm. About 30 total I would call jewelry grade average 4mm in size.
Even some cool formations I just had to take. Video coming soon.
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Upvote 21

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,724
40,808
Maryland
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XP Deus II
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Very nice. I went up there a few times. That rock is very hard. I don't know how you survived the heat!
 

Megalodon

Silver Member
May 13, 2018
2,650
4,374
Maryland
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White's MXT
Tesoro Cibola
Tesoro Golden Sabre Plus
Garrett ADS Master Hunter 7
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All Treasure Hunting
I used to take the kids there in the summer and they loved tubing in the creek. One year I bought the heaviest sledge hammer I could find for the trip - and it turned out to be the hottest day of the year. Being one to "get my money's worth" (ok, cheap...) I was first in line in the morning and stayed all day. Between swinging the sledge hammer and the heat, it about killed me. And the kids found nice herkimer diamonds in the creek. But I got some nice pieces and learned not to bring a big sledge again.
 

Oct 5, 2014
31,886
35,425
Massachusetts
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Relic Hunting
Great job! :occasion14:

I go there every year to "dig" for diamonds, love staying at the camp across the street. The pizza is great at the next door restaurant!
 

Megalodon

Silver Member
May 13, 2018
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4,374
Maryland
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White's MXT
Tesoro Cibola
Tesoro Golden Sabre Plus
Garrett ADS Master Hunter 7
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Great job! :occasion14:

I go there every year to "dig" for diamonds, love staying at the camp across the street. The pizza is great at the next door restaurant!

We both camped and stayed in a cabin there. We'd stay for at least 4 days hunting diamonds and using the camp as a base to visit Cooperstown, the Remington factory and the Rawlings factory (I used to be a Rawlings stockholder and they allowed stockholders to meet pro baseball players when they stopped by to inspect their bats; one year we met Piazza).
 

DeepseekerADS

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Mar 3, 2013
14,880
21,725
SW, VA - Bull Mountain
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CTX, Excal II, EQ800, Fisher 1260X, Tesoro Royal Sabre, Tejon, Garrett ADSIII, Carrot, Stealth 920iX, Keene A52
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My Herkimer diamond was a detecting find in a SS "cage".

I'd never heard of them before, but research afterwards made it a delightful find:

Thu Apr 12 21-16-14.jpg
 

Megalodon

Silver Member
May 13, 2018
2,650
4,374
Maryland
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Nice! The doubly terminated quartz crystals emerge just crying out for silver wire wrapping.
 

A2coins

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Dec 20, 2015
33,807
42,606
Ann Arbor
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3
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That sounds like fun I remember reading a few years back that some little kids were at one of those diamond mines and one of the little kids found this huge diamond was big enough to makes the news around the world I wish I was that little brat. lol
 

Megalodon

Silver Member
May 13, 2018
2,650
4,374
Maryland
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White's MXT
Tesoro Cibola
Tesoro Golden Sabre Plus
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That sounds like fun I remember reading a few years back that some little kids were at one of those diamond mines and one of the little kids found this huge diamond was big enough to makes the news around the world I wish I was that little brat. lol

I believe that one was a real diamond (possibly found in Arkansas?). Herkimer diamonds are doubly terminated quartz crystals that come out looking like fully faceted diamonds. In the black rock matrix, they are found in cavities called vugs. They can also be found loose where the rock has been broken.
 

OP
OP
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Detectorist143

Full Member
Jul 10, 2017
175
788
New York
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Teknetics patriot, Tesoro silver Umax and a BH 101 Hey Who was laughing? With 8" & 10" coils..
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Here is the video as promised. Enjoy HH all.
Just keep Diggin Life.
 

Monet4sky

Jr. Member
Feb 11, 2019
74
265
Upstate ny
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Xp deus, 9inch coil, HF elliptical, whites underwater pulse induction, Garrett pinpointer
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Metal Detecting
I absolutely love that place. I have a like it rocks that I bring home. Makes beauties for earrings. Love them more then real diamonds. Great finds��
 

Monet4sky

Jr. Member
Feb 11, 2019
74
265
Upstate ny
Detector(s) used
Xp deus, 9inch coil, HF elliptical, whites underwater pulse induction, Garrett pinpointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I absolutely love that place. I have a like it rocks that I bring home. Makes beauties for earrings. Love them more then real diamonds. Great finds😁
 

claire

Hero Member
Nov 24, 2008
630
1,079
long island ny
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Was there a few years ago. Stayed at the campground across the street, which was lovely. Of course I became obsessed with breaking rocks looking for Herks. My family was annoyed that they couldn’t get me to leave! Came away with some nice pieces. We will probably go back soon. Nice area
 

powrsurg

Sr. Member
Jul 5, 2016
319
364
Rocky Point, NY
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Minelab Equinox 800
Whites Spectra V3I
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The quality of the Quartz crystals up there is amazing. I have found some goods ones myself when I went there as a kid.
 

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