Best Website for Herkimer Diamond Information
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Free Website Where Herkimer Diamond Enthusiasts Share Information with the Public
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Dr.C. did two talks at the Herkimer Diamond Festival (July)which are in a Youtube movie. The research on the Herkimer District is in need of samples and photos.
How can you help? Visit the "how to help" page.
This is the main index page to the individual web pages for each mine or deposit within the Herkimer district. A map of the district is shown on the left. This webpage is meant to provide quick directions. More detailed information, and photos, for each mine can be found by clicking on the link to that mine's web page given below.
Please note that this is ongoing research and that the mine web pages are still being developed, aided by the very much needed donations of photos and specimens from the community.
Mine: Diamond Acres Mine (DA) , Fonda NY
Margaret Hasting's daughter Linda lives at the site (phone above). The surest way not to get messed up is to exit the NY Turnpike at Fonda. Go West to the bridge and cross the river. Turn left on Rt 5. Go West to the first road out side of Fonda that goes up the hill. This is Hickory Hill Road. It is not a right turn but angles up the hill. Follow Hickory Hill for several miles until you come to Barker Road. Turn right on Barker. This road curves around and comes to Stone
Arabia Road. Turn left on Stone Arabia. The first driveway to the left is the entrance to the mine. The alternate route is to go through Palatine Bridge and take Rt 10 North to Stone Arabia Road and turn East for several miles. Look for Barker Road (which becomes England Road on the North side of Stone Arabia) Then go back to the mine.The only sign to the mine is a crossed pickaxe and shovel painted blue near the entrance. But even that was overgrown last summer, thus the Barker Road directions. Directions taken from link below
Mine: Hickory Hill Diggings (HH), Fonda, NY
Directions:
Mine: Ace of Diamonds Mine (AD), Middleville, NY
Take Rt. 28 north from Herkimer, NY and go past the Herkimer Diamond KOA campgrounds on the right (and store on the left). The Ace of Diamonds mine is just a little further on the left, but the entrance is difficult to see if you haven't ever been there. Look for mine equipment up on a hill and then the turn in is a reverse Y. You may miss it and then proceed to a safe place to turn around and head bcak to the Y junction.
Mine: Herkimer Diamond Mine (HDM), Middleville, NY
Directions:
Mines or Deposits That Do Not have Public Access (no directions are provided):
Deposits That Have Been Reported for which There is Little Information:
Directions:
Head west on Rt. 5 from Fonda to Hickory Hill road on your right. It is more like a Y juntion than a T junction and it heads straight up a hill. Follow this past Barker road which is on your right, just after going up a long hill, then look for the sign to the diggings on your left.
Note that the diggings are only open three weekends a year: Memorial day, July 4th, and Labor day.
Map that shows the approximate location of the Diamond Acres Mine (DA) and the Hickory Hill Deposit (HH).
Location of Fonda, NY is also shown.
Directions:
Map showing the approximate locations of the Ace of Diamonds mine (AD), the Herkimer Diamond Mine (HDM) and Crystal Grove (CG).
The locations of Herkimer and St. Johnsville, NY are shown.
Take Rt 28 north from Herkimer, NY and look for the KOA campgrounds on the left and the store on the right, which is slighty up a hill and set back from the road.
Mine: Crystal Grove (CG), St. Johnsville, NY
Directions:
If you are traveling from Fonda on Rt. 5, toward St. Johnsville, then look for the Crystal Grove signs on the right. In St. Johnsville you will want to turn on to County Rt. 114 and head North. You will know if you are on the correct road because you will soon see another Crystal Grove sign. Stay on this road, seeing more signs, until you get to the campgrounds on the right (with a small store and parking lot). My first time traveling there from St. Johnsville seemed like it was further than on the map, I heard myself saying "are we there yet?"
I have heard that there are at least six other sites where Herkimer diamonds have been dug from the ground (not washed down in streams). If anyone has information about such a location that can be added to this dedicated Herkimer diamond mine information website, then please send an email.
I even heard that there is a location near Amsterdam NY. Any Herkimer find East of Fonda would be of great importance! In addition someone, a professor I think, sent me an email telling me of Herkimer diamonds occuring in fossils much younger than Cambrian age. Due to a computer crash I have lost that contact. If anyone has information please send an email.
If you have a private claim/dig site and wish the location to remain private then we will do all we can to accomodate. The purpose of this website is to gather information from all the sites of mineralization within the Herkimer Mining District. The more sites that gets added the more complete will be the picture of the entire district. A visit to the site, samples, photos and an interview - along with your help - is generally all that is needed.
If you want your location to remain totally private, then I would name the location "unknown", or give it a unique name of your choosing. It is the advancement of science that is important and the more sites that are studied the more we improve on the science. As the science improves so will people's success and enjoyment while hunting for Herkimer diamonds.
If you have any compliants, issues, concerns or information then please send an email or use the community forum.
W. David Hoisington, Ph.D.
There are many ways you can help with Herkimer diamond research.
You can help!
Find out how.
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Aug., 2011
August, 2011 - The first ALL NEW mine site information web page is almost done and can be seen by clicking on the DA mine web page link below.
August, 2011 - This mine page is waiting for community donations and is under construction.
August, 2011 - This mine page is waiting for community donations and is under construction.
August, 2011 - This mine page is waiting for community donations and is under construction.
August, 2011 - This mine page is waiting for community donations and is under construction.
August, 2011 - This mine page is waiting for community donations and is under construction.
August, 2011 - This mine page is waiting for community donations and is under construction.
August, 2011 - This mine page is waiting for community donations and is under construction.
August, 2011 - This mine page is waiting for community donations and is under construction.
