{"title":"Diamond Quartz","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiamond Quartz\u003c\/strong\u003e is the collector's trade name for naturally doubly terminated crystals of \u003cstrong\u003equartz\u003c\/strong\u003e (SiO2), prized for their exceptional clarity, sharp geometry, and diamond-like brilliance despite being chemically ordinary quartz with a hardness of 7. The type locality and still the most famous source is \u003cstrong\u003eHerkimer County\u003c\/strong\u003e, New York, where crystals grow free-floating in solution cavities within the Cambrian-age \u003cstrong\u003eLittle Falls Dolostone\u003c\/strong\u003e along the \u003cstrong\u003eMohawk Valley\u003c\/strong\u003e. Because contact with the host rock is minimal, these crystals develop terminations on both ends, an average of 18 facets, and a distinctive pseudo-octahedral outline. Within this same district, material is also traded under the older regional names \u003cstrong\u003eLittle Falls Diamond\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eMiddleville Diamond\u003c\/strong\u003e, and historically the crystals were gathered and traded by the Mohawk people long before commercial mining began.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeyond New York, visually identical doubly terminated quartz occurs at a handful of celebrated deposits worldwide, each with its own local nickname. In Arizona, the \u003cstrong\u003eDiamond Point\u003c\/strong\u003e locality in the \u003cstrong\u003eMazatzal Mountains\u003c\/strong\u003e, Gila County, produces crystals marketed as \u003cstrong\u003ePayson Diamonds\u003c\/strong\u003e, occasionally showing a faint amethyst tint on their terminations. Similar material comes from vein and cavity deposits in \u003cstrong\u003eAfghanistan\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003ePakistan\u003c\/strong\u003e, the latter well known for gem-clear specimens containing moving water bubbles, or \u003cstrong\u003eenhydro\u003c\/strong\u003e inclusions. Additional occurrences are documented in \u003cstrong\u003eNorway\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eUkraine\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eChina\u003c\/strong\u003e, and parts of \u003cstrong\u003eTibet\u003c\/strong\u003e, though none carry the same market recognition as the Herkimer originals. Inclusions add further collector interest across all these sources: black particles of \u003cstrong\u003eanthraxolite\u003c\/strong\u003e (hydrocarbon), trapped petroleum, carbon dioxide bubbles, and associated minerals such as dolomite, calcite, pyrite, and sphalerite frequently accompany the quartz and can dramatically increase a specimen's rarity and value.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCollectors seek Diamond Quartz precisely because double termination is uncommon in nature, a result of crystals growing suspended within open vugs rather than anchored to matrix. Water-clear, inclusion-free crystals from Herkimer County remain the benchmark for the variety, while amethystine Payson Diamonds, hydrocarbon-included Herkimers, and enhydro-bearing Pakistani crystals each offer distinct, locality-specific appeal for thumbnail and miniature collections, jewelry cutting, and display pieces alike.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/www.italmineral.com\/collections\/diamond-quartz.oembed","provider":"ITALMINERAL","version":"1.0","type":"link"}