The best website on "Herkimer Diamonds"
Here is a list of all the research, and or work, that needs to be added on to this website. Included is an estimation of it's progress and needs. You can look over the list and see where it is you can help.
Some of the information below is scientific and you may need to read over various sections of this website to understand the material that is discussed below. Use the links at the top of the page to find more information.
Herkimer Diamond Research Project List
The Name of the Project
Progress Being Made on, and Needs of, the Project
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Basic maps are available but mineral locations have not been plotted on all the various maps. Graphic displays are not available showing the deposits on these these maps. Detailed mapping around each deposits has not been done.
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There are clearly multipl quartz phases in the Herkimer districtr. Fluid inclusion work on all of them across all the deoposits remains to be done. Although an ambitious goal, it is one that does not require pristine samples. Just donations from the public of "junk" specimens. A special part of this study will be the analysis of "golden enydros", or oil within fluid inclusions (John Parnell). Donations of "enhydros", in particular "golden enhydros", are needed from all deposits.
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There are several specific crystalization issues that need to be addressed: Why the link between "black material" and clear crystals? How do the skeletal/hopper crystals form, why the large variation in skeletal patterns and how do they fit into the larger picture? What is the relation of the "baby floater" stage to the larger picture? There is research being done (by John Quaif) on trying to grow Herkimer's in the lab and that will help with some of these questions. There is still more work to be done on factors affecting quartz crystalization episodes in the Herkimer district and the observed variations.
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There seems to be clear evidence that both of these events happened in the district, and probably more than once. Sorting out the features related to each has yet to be done. It is likely that there were 1) paleokarst events which occured before the Herkimer mineralization - preparing the host rock by making more openings, and 2) recent karst events after the Herkimer mineralization which created "dry holes" with a smooth and rounded surface. There are also "shard breccias" or sharp angular fragments that are cemented by minerals. Shard breccias likely occured in direct association with the Herkimer mineralization. What is the relationship between the various "opening making" episodes and the formation of Herkimer diamonds? Some of this may be answerd through a study of the HBQ. See the link:
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There is some evidence that stomatolites occur in the same host rock as the Herkimer diamonds, but why is mostly a guess. There is some research being done on "carbon material" in association with older stromatolites (Russel Shapiro). More research on this association in the Herkimer host rock needs to be done, perhaps looking at the role of "framework" stromatolites which may have helped to create the first large "open holes" in the host rock and at least may have introduced a greater porosity. The proposed idea that large amounts of "black carbon material" were original to the time when the stromatolites were formed is very doubtful and needs to be revaluated based on the new evidence linking the carbon material to oil migration.
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There is some evidence that zoning may occur within a single pocket with the black carbon material packed at the top and the quartz on the bottom. There are reports that the larger pockets at HBQ show quartz-calcite zoning. There also appear to be different "zones" on mineralization with different feaetures ( see the page on zones).
Exactly what is the relationship of one zone to another? Why are there different zones? How do they behave, or change, across long distances? Something that could be answered through a study of HBQ.
