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Some Consider Water to be a Mineraloid
Water is not a mineral; however, it freezes into ice, which is a mineral. Some authors believe that water should be considered to be a “mineraloid,” a material that meets some of the requirements of being a mineral but falls short. Others disagree because they believe that a mineraloid only fails to meet the requirements…
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Is Ice a Mineral?
If we compare the properties of ice to the five requirements of the mineral definition, we find that it clearly meets the last four. However, requirement #1 presents a problem. A natural snowflake would be considered to be a mineral because it forms naturally in Earth’s atmosphere. However, an ice cube made in a refrigerator…
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Is Water a Mineral?
If we compare the properties of water to the five requirements of the mineral definition, we find that it fails to qualify as a mineral. Water is a liquid, so it does not meet requirement #3 – being a solid. However, at temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius, water becomes the solid…
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What is a Mineral?
The word “mineral” is used by geologists for a group of naturally occurring crystalline substances. Gold, pyrite, quartz, calcite, and fluorite are all examples of “minerals.” To be a mineral a substance must meet five requirements:
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Herkimer Diamond Specimens & Jewelry
Why hunt for “Herkimer diamonds”? It’s great fun and every time you break open a rock you will look with anticipation to see if you liberated an unseen quartz crystal. Nice “Herkimer diamonds” are highly prized mineral specimens and are sought by mineral collectors worldwide. Large numbers of Herkimer crystals are also used in jewelry…
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“Herkimer Diamonds” is a Misnomer
The name “Herkimer diamond” is a misnomer. A misnomer is a name that is intentionally or inadvertently incorrect. It is incorrect because the crystals called “Herkimer diamonds” are quartz crystals rather than diamond crystals. The name “Herkimer diamonds” has been used for over 100 years and is deeply ingrained in the language of local people as well…
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“Cavity” Prospecting
For finding large quantities of crystals, the most successful mining method is to break into large cavities in the quarry walls and floors using sledge hammers and wedges (power equipment is not permitted at the mines listed in this article). This method requires tools, patience, time, and a knowledge of how to break an extremely…
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“Scavenger” Prospecting
Some visitors to the mines have been successful by simply searching the rock rubble for exposed crystals or searching the quarry floor for loose crystals. We found several really nice crystals this way and lots of tiny ones. We have also seen children find many nice crystals this way. This is the safest prospecting method,…
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“Find and Break” Prospecting
The easy way to prospect is to find pieces of vuggy rock and break them open with a heavy hammer. Usually any vugs found will be empty, but if you are lucky, the rock will break to reveal one or several “Herkimer diamonds” within a cavity. If your visit to the mine will last just a…
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Mining for “Herkimer Diamonds”
The key to finding “Herkimer diamonds” is a knowledge that they occur in cavities (vugs) within the Little Falls Dolostone (see photo above). These cavities can be smaller than a pea or several feet across. At both of the mines listed above, the Little Falls Dolostone is exposed at the surface, and a significant amount…