Hydrocarbons, Oil, Follow: The “holes” in the dolomite rock are covered, sometimes filled, with oil.
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It is estimated that more than 60% of the world’s oil
reserves (as of 2106 - not including fracking) is
found to be hosted within holes in carbonate rock.
The Herkimer district can be viewed as a
“fossilized” oil deposit within a carbonate rock. The
oil is not flowing anymore but all the signs are left
behind to tell us that it was at one time liquid. See
the hydrocarbon page for this evidence.
The significance of this oil, for the formation of
Herkimer diamonds, is that this oil was being
introduced into the rock along with, and episodic with,
solutions containing the ingredients needed to make
Herkimer diamonds. This quartz - oil interaction has
been the focus of our field investigations since 2014,
and new discoveries continue to occur. To see the
preserved evidence of oil and the quartz solutions
interaction see the following page:
The
presence
of
hydrocarbons
in
the
birth
place
of
Herkimer
diamonds
is
probably
the
single
most
influential
factor
contributing
to
their
“diamond
like” form and brilliance.
Although we are still studying the evidence left behind from this mixing of oil and quartz bearing fluids in the Herkimer Mining District, we can say with fairly
high confidence the following:
When Herkimer diamonds are found within cavities that have a strong presence of black hydrocarbon
they have a high chance of being being both clear and brilliant, and also containing curved quartz features.
This is something Herkimer diamond miners and collectors have known for decades and yet there has not been a geologic theory put forth to explain this
feature that is almost universal across the entire district. They have been given the name “jewelry boxes” because of the high brilliance shown by the
Herkimer diamonds that are dug out of the black mass within. From our ongoing Sphere-Curved Feature research project we
can also say that the Herkimer diamonds in these black pockets will contain microscopic evidence of quartz-hydrocarbon
interaction while the fluids were making Herkimer diamonds.
Best Website for Herkimer Diamond Information - Made Possible by Collector Donations
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by W. David Hoisington, Ph. D. unless another author/photographer is cited.
Welcome to the New Herkimer Diamond Story!
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Updated - 03/09/2019
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Thank you Shannon Haley
Wilbur for the donation of 30
samples from the Fonda
region.1/05/2019 and 3/2/2019
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