D is for Diamond
Ever since I was a little girl I've been fascinated by rocks and have always collected them.
I'm especially intrigued by crystals so I thought I would share one of my favorites that begin with the letter D....D is for Diamond - Herkimer Diamond!
Herkimer Diamonds were first discovered in the 1700's in Herkimer County in upstate New York.
The Diamonds are found in pockets that form in Dolostone, a mineral formation consisting of Limestone, Magnesium and Dolomite.
This is how they appear when they are being mined.....
The surrounding stone is called the matrix. Often the stones are free inside the matrix but sometimes have to be chipped away from the matrix to release the crystal.
Herkimer Diamonds are the clearest naturally occurring quartz crystal. They are double terminated, meaning they have points on both ends. Herkimer Diamonds have 18 naturally occurring facets and none of the crystals in these pictures have been cut or polished in any way!
Most Herkimer Diamonds are clear and colorless. Here are some from my personal collection...
Notice the small "twin" crystal. Less common than single crystals but not especially rare. One rare occurrence is called "Enhydro". This is where some water has been trapped during the crystal formation and remains liquid in a small pocket inside the solid crystal.
This is my rare Herkimer Diamond...a perfectly terminated and faceted SMOKEY Diamond....isn't it lovely?
Some people believe that crystals contain metaphysical properties. It is said that putting a Herkimer Diamond under one's pillow will bring sweet dreams and enhance memory...much nicer than a sleeping pill!
Herkimer Diamonds are not the only Diamonds in my life....Here's my progress on the Diamond Fantasy Shawl....smooth segue, huh? hehehe.....
I've completed four of the ten repeats suggested for the shawl altho I may do less as my Mom is under five feet tall and I don't want a huge shawl to overwhelm her!
It's an easy pattern as lace goes and very intuitive so altho not completely mindless, it's a lace pattern I would recommend to a knitter early in her lace knitting journey! I'm really enjoying knitting this and I'm crazy about how great it looks in the Blue Heron Cotton! (and no blocking, tee hee!!)
Today there's a guest kitty visiting Chez FKD....Pumpkin wants you to meet his new friend.....
This is my neighbor Brooke and her new baby Annabelle! Isn't she a cutie?
Annabelle is a Blue Point Himalayan. Her breeder lost her home during Hurricane Wilma but managed to get the cats out and now is doing business out of a trailer so Brooke was happy to give this sweet girl a new home....and based on my last post, a new girlfriend for the P-Man can't happen soon enough!
I chose a pattern for my Sockapaloooza pal and it looks great with the Twinkletoes yarn but I'll save that for next time!
Have a great week and I hope you find the Diamonds in your life!
17 comments:
Thanks for sharing a diamond lesson! And your shawl is looking great, too. I love my DFS and agree that it's an easy pattern to follow.
The crystals are pretty, but I love the DFS. It will be lovely!
Annabelle is a cutie!
I am not crazy about jewelry... but raw diamond is another story. Fascinating story about the Herkimer Diamonds.
The shawl is beautiful ... can't wait to see it finished.
Girlfriend for Pumpkin? Woo hoo ... Annabelle is such a darling!
Neat to read about the Herkimer diamonds - my family is from upstate NY and we've visited Herkimer in my young adulthood - mostly to see General Herkimer's house (http://www.threerivershms.com/herkimer.htm) but we did stop in to a place that must have been run by the village or town and saw some Herkimer diamonds too.
The shawl is beautiful and coming along nicely.
Oh, earth's treasures! What a treat to see this as I was a rockhound as a child and still in love with rocks! Just amazing and thanks for the pics. Good job on your 'diamond shawl!
Oh, that little fur love is absolutely CUTE!
A gal can never have enough diamonds =)
The shawl looks great. Lovely colors.
That kitty is so sweet. Perhaps she's enough to distract the P-man from the yarn. Let's hope so for the yarns sake.
Enjoyed the herkimer geology lesson - very interesting. Your second rock picture looks like a monster munching on a sparkly snack.
Your shawl is just lovely. I am missing the brave gene in my physical makeup, but I certainly love to admire the lace work of others.
The new neighbor kitty is a little doll.
Happy knitting.
Loved the Herkimer daimonds:-)
A good freind of mine is a crystal healer and got me very intersted in all these things. I too have rocks and crystals all over the house.
Thanks for the interesting story of the herkimer diamonds.
The DFS is looking fabulous and will look gorgeous on your mother once it's finished.
Lovely friend for Pumpkin!!
You learn something new every day. I had never heard of Herkimer diamonds - fascinating! And your shawl is lovely. Can't wait to see it finished. P-man's girlfriend is too cute!
I love the colors in the shawl - very delicate and spring-like. And speaking of spring, it can't get here too soon!
Is it wrong that I look at that cat and think "FIBRE!!!"?
Seamless segue, girl- I love it! ;-) I also loved the story about the Herkimer Diamonds. And the twin crystal is so cool! I enjoy learning about all the metaphysical properties of crystals, too. I wonder how that all came about? Is it because of their connection with the earth element? Your Diamond Fantasy shawl is breathtakingly gorgeous!! That Blue Heron cotton is so beautiful, too. And Annabelle is such a cutie-patootie! What a little furball of cuteness. ;-) Take care, Debi! :-)
I love the crystals and adore that shawl! I sense a trip to Leesburg....
Interesting to learn about the diamonds. I love your shawl. It really came out nice.
I love your diamonds post. First time I've actually learned something by reading the ABC alongs.
The lace is beautiful. You're so good to your momma!!!!
Ooooh, jeeeewwwwelllls. Lovely diamonds there, Debi. I collect the semi-precious stones, just about as much as I collect yarn! SO fun.
Your shawl is coming along nicely!
Cute little kitty! Looks so soft and cuddly. :)
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