Quartz Var. Herkimer Diamond and Hydrocarbon

The Elusive Herkimer Diamond Mine sits tucked away just a few miles from two of the most well-known localities in Herkimer County, New York. Despite this close proximity, the specimens produced there frequently take on a character distinctly their own when compared to those of the neighboring Middleville mines. While the region's reputation was built upon water-clear, doubly terminated Herkimer Diamonds of exceptional clarity, inclusion-rich crystals laden with hydrocarbons can come as a genuine surprise to those unfamiliar with the full range this area has to offer. Specimens from the Elusive Herkimer Diamond Mine span the full spectrum; from classically pristine, water-clear examples to deeply smoky crystals riddled with anthraxolite inclusions, such as this specimen. Notably, darker, inclusion-rich crystals predominate at this locality, while just across the river, the inverse relationship holds true.