| Notes: |
A group of black diamonds that includes a manifestation crystal. The black mineral found in Herkimer Diamonds has always been called anthraxolite, and is what imparts the black color to the crystals. Anthraxolite is actually decayed plant material that fossilized. Possibly from large cabbage-shaped seaweeds known as “Cryptozoon's”. However, I have included some new evidence below that may suggest otherwise.
Sizes and descriptions:
- An 8x4x3.5 mm crystal with an elongated shape that's encrusted with the black anthraxolite.
- The 8.5x4.5x3.75 mm has good clarity. The black mineral is completely enclosed.
- This 8.5x6x4.75 mm's gumball shape and excellent clarity are great; and with a loupe, a tiny manifestation crystal appears!
- A 10x6x5 mm nicely shaped crystal with fair clarity and a dark hue.
- An 11.5x5.5x4.5 mm Herkimer with an elongated shape and very good clarity.
- This 11.5x6x5 mm has some external iron oxide, along with the black hydrocarbon and pyrite internally.
New evidence suggests this smoky black color was caused by hydrocarbons verses anthraxolite (a fossilized ancient sea cabbage) as was previously thought.
From Dr. Hoisington's web site Herkimer History-
"Sometime after the host rock was formed (300 to 400 million years ago, but no firm dating has been done), deep within the Earth, fluids containing gas, oil (leaving behind "black hydrocarbon material"), salt and dissolved quartz (and a few other things) moved up along cracks (vertical flow) and then out along these porous layers that had all the holes (horizontal flow). As the fluids moved into the cracks and the "hole layers" the solutions eroded the holes further, and also provided material that helped to "grow" the doubly terminated quartz crystals called Herkimer diamonds. "
This group of black diamonds has some matched sizes, and, as with any B grade, all are double terminated. |
