Herkimer Diamond Crystal Strand Necklace

If you have ever thrown open every window in a stuffy house just to feel the light pour in, you will understand why so many of us love Herkimer diamond. It is not a diamond at all but quartz, a small, water-clear crystal pointed at both ends, its faces so bright and sharp they look cut and polished, though nature did all the work. True Herkimers come from Herkimer County and the surrounding Mohawk Valley in New York state, in the United States, where they grew in small pockets in rock half a billion years old. Many hold a speck of black carbon, a bubble of ancient water or a flicker of rainbow inside, small worlds sealed in light. Similar double points from other places are sometimes sold under the name, and they are beautiful in their own right.

Modern crystal work places Herkimer diamond at the Crown Chakra, where the Hindu and Vedic chakra system locates our connection to spirit, the same centre the tradition gives to clear quartz.

Herkimer diamond shares much of clear quartz's place as a stone of light and clarity. It is said to bring more light into our energy, and it is valued for clearing stuck or blocked energy. We turn to it for cleansing, for meditation, and for those times when we simply want to see plainly. Its own tradition is still young, though its sparkle has already won it a following.

Tip a Herkimer diamond toward the light and every face lights up at once, like a tiny chandelier. Even a small one feels precious, cool and perfectly formed in its setting, and the double point gives it a crispness that a cut stone rarely matches. On a fine chain or a slim band it catches every lamp in the room. We love showing it to anyone who adores clear quartz but wants a little more sparkle.

Rings, pendants and strands of Herkimer diamond are worn as much for their brilliance as for their meaning. Many of us wear a piece for meditation and quiet inner work, when we want our thoughts clear and our attention gathered. Some put it on when starting a new practice or a fresh season of study, as a small, bright reminder to keep seeing clearly, and it is a favourite with anyone who loves sparkle without the formality of a cut gem.

Herkimer diamond (Mohs 7) is tough quartz and easy to look after. Rinse it under running water or cleanse it with sound, moonlight, or smoke. The natural points are sharp and can chip, so store it apart from other jewellery.