There are several places to collect Herkimer diamonds (quartz crystals) in
Herkimer County, New York. Some are fairly big operations, others
quite small. The site profiled in this radio piece is called Diamond Acres on
Stone Arabia Road in Fonda, New York. It's located in a growing
Amish community, and so is surrounded by extensive and spectacular farmland.
You'll need to ask for specific directions because there are
no signs at the driveway. It's owned by Margaret Hastings, and managed by her
daughter, Linda, who lives on site. Enter the driveway, park in
the field and you'll see a small trail that leads into the woods. (You'll need
to pay at the house on the way in). It's a very low-key
operation and kind of disorganized. We like it because it's in the forest (so
there's shade), it's inexpensive ($2 adults, $1 for kids),
and you can easily pick through the tailings of other more serious miners and
find some really beautiful crystals. You can also visit with
the regulars, who are a wealth of information and as much a part of the experience
as finding crystals. For more information, see the following web page:
http://geology.com/articles/herkimer-diamonds.shtml
Email with questions. --Laurie Sanders