🪄Gathered a Treasure Horde in New York, And I'm Sharing!💸
Would you like an Ophelia Pendant with your very own Herkimer Diamond?
As always, I had a great time on my trip to New York to gather Herkimer Diamonds.
I have some videos, some photos and some information for you in case you’d like to do it too. PLUS an opportunity to get your hands on one of my Herkimers! Keep reading…
(Most of the collages below are also mini-videos of under 30 seconds each, so click away!)
I Stayed in a Castle!
What’s better than finding honest to goodness treasure? Living in a castle while you do it!
I stayed at Amsterdam Castle in Amsterdam, NY. This amazing property was once a military armory, but now it’s a first rate hotel.
Mining!
I’ve been mining Herkimer Diamonds, which are double terminated quartz crystals for several years now. A double terminated crystal is one with a point on both ends. It requires very special conditions for such a crystal to form. Most crystals grow up out of the rock into a void inside the rock. Geodes are an example of this sort of formation. In order for a crystal to have a point on both ends, the crystal has to form in such a way that it doesn’t touch the rock it is inside. I know it sounds like we’re talking about levitation, but unfortunately it’s not quite that cool. Herkimer Diamonds form inside voids known as “pockets” in Dolomite Stone. These pockets have a black sand-like mineral which supports the crystal during formation, while also moving out of the way allowing the crystal to form unimpeded.
To mine Herkimers, you need to hammer away at the Dolomite with chisels and sledge hammers, chipping away the solid stone until you locate one of these pockets. Dolomite is incredibly hard stone. Personally, I’m not physically capable of doing of this. In fact, I’ve watched able bodied, strong men hammer away at these rocks for hours looking for pockets. It is hard work.
So how do I get the Herkimers you may be asking?
I scavenge. Sometimes the rocks break apart over time as the earth moves and wind, water, and roots do their natural things. This unlocks the crystals into the surrounding soil where you can dig and sift looking for them. The other way I find them is by searching the surface of rocky areas where other’s have broken open pockets. It’s not uncommon for the crystals to go flying in every direction when they break open a pocket (with a sledge hammer, mind you!). The miners don’t always find everything they spilled, so I come along later and pick them up.
Unfortunately, it rained all day, so I only managed to take one video at the mine itself.
When I get home, I start the process of cleaning my finds. I just use water and a small bristle brush, but it takes a few rounds of washing. Finally, I’ll polish them up doing one final clean with water and coffee filters.
I don’t keep everything I bring home. Sometimes they are broken, fractured, or grew against the rock in ways that make them ugly.
5 minute video of me talking about Herkimers and showing you the spoils of this year’s trip.
Win An Ophelia Herkimer Dragon Pendant!
I have picked 10 of the best Herkimer Diamonds (Quartz) that I collected this year and placed them inside these Dragon Pendants.
One Super Fan will win one for Free.
The other 9 will be available in my store.
To win, click the “Refer a Friend Button below.” The person with the most referrals by next Sunday wins!
Keep track of the competition (and find your referral link) on the Leaderboard.
BONUS!
As an added bonus, anyone who refers 5 people will receive a free 1 month subscription to the Business Witch Academy - including free downloads from the online store.
Refer 12 people - you’ll get 3 free months + the free downloads!
Refer 25 people - you’ll get 9 free months + the free downloads!!!
The remaining 9 pendants will be up in the store soon. I’ll let you know when they’re ready.
Stay Magical,
Cheryl
P.S. Would you like to earn free access to The Library 📜 archives?
DISCLAIMER
Some outbound links may financially benefit me and the page through affiliate programs. The affiliate relationship doesn’t influence my opinion, and I would never endorse programs, products, or services I didn’t use, approve of or feel familiar with. So if you use it, I may get compensated — but there’s no additional cost to you.
What a fun adventure! My sister is a geologist, and she would have loved this!