ace of diamonds mine
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ace of diamonds mine印象
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Having taken cub scouts, my kids, and other people's kids to hunt for Herkimer Diamonds I know that kids do not have to be rockhounds to get caught up in the fun (and hard work) of finding those elusive quartz crystals. I've visited both the mines, which are very close to each other on the west side of Route 28, just south of the village of Middleville. My preference for this facility is not based on amenities, but on the fact fact I've had more success finding diamonds here. The very first rock I cracked open at Ace of Diamonds contained one of the nicest crystals we found that day, still embedded in a small piece of the limestone matrix. Of course that was lucky, and there were other times when I hammered or dug for an hour or so without finding much. Some of our best and largest loose crystal finds came from simply digging in the dirt on top of the central pile of rocks which are blasted out of the bedrock and piled up for visitors to break open. Tip for beginners who are able to swing a sledge hammer: Look for smaller chunks of limestone which are riddled with black pockets. Those smaller rocks are more likely to contain crystals, and they are easier to break. Bring sledges and eye protectors if you have them, otherwise the rental rates are reasonable here. Most smaller items can be rented all day for $1. For smaller children and anyone who doesn't want to hammer, brink your garden trowels and dig in the dirt. You might do better than those who can break rocks. My two grandsons were totally absorbed in the hunt the day we visited. They stayed out in a couple of rain showers and did not even want to stop for lunch. Each of us found a nice array of crystals with a few large loose ones and some still in their pockets in the rock. Regardless of the temperature you'll want to bring lots of water or drinks. I wished I'd thought to bring a plastic 5-gallon pail for each of us to carry tools and rocks. Some plastic bags are useful to secure loose crystals. A note about camping here. Don't! There is a real campground just to the south and across the road, with much nicer restrooms and showers that work. My five-bar review of Ace of Diamonds is based on the mining, not on the amenities. The customer service is OK in some respects, sub-standard in others (see Debbie H's review about their camping experience).
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The Ace of Diamonds mine was everything we expected. It was not easy breaking the ruble to find the crystals but it was fun. It took a little bit of time to find the right rocks to break, but once we did we were not disappointed. For our first time mining, I think we did well. We will definitely be making a return trip to Ace of Diamonds Mine.
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It's the heavy equipment that makes this mine a winner over the competition. Don't judge it by first impression, it's a "diamonds in the rough". We were skeptical upon driving in and seeing the rustic setting, but as soon as we started mining, we were convinced. They have bulldozers and other heavy equipment which keeps visitors happy because there is always a fresh pile of rocks to sort through. Some miners simply look for Herkimer diamonds on the ground, and others find success by smashing rocks. Either bring your own equipment, or rent on site. The owner was patient and knowledgeable, and we enjoyed chatting with him. The shop could also be a destination for people who like rocks, minerals and crystals. And there was a surprising selection of new age and healing-type books. We spent over an hour browsing. I should also mention the prices... Between 30 & 40% lower than the competition. Save $4/ person on the entrance fees alone. If you are mining, definitely give the Ace of Diamonds a try. My teenager found the largest gem we had ever come across on this visit, our FIRST at Ace of Diamonds. Sadly we had been mining at the competition for a dozen years before we gave this place a try. Don't make the same mistake!
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What a great choice for a weekend road trip. We used a discount website to get a hotel and off we went. We arrived to the mine before the crowds so had our pick of places to stake out. It seems pretty big at first but when the folks start coming in it gets crowded fast. The owners are very helpful and seem to enjoy giving advice how to find the right stones to find the diamonds in. We only spent a few hours but the grandsons said they want to come back again. Wish there was a bigger parking area, but with how many people showed up, I think there is a parking area I just didn't see. There is a nice pizza place within walking distance or food available through the shop, or bring a picnic lunch or camp out on site. Everyone had a great day and walked out with treasure.
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We stayed at the campground about a half a mile from the mine.Went to the Herkimer Mine the first Day and were quite dissapointed and were then told by fellow cabin neighbours to visit the Ace of Diamonds.We had a really good time.Cracked a lot of Rocks and found some Herkimers.Got superdirty and sunburned,didnt think sitting on some rocks would get you this burned.It is a smaller mine then the other one.but we felt more comfortable here.They bring fresh rocks from the pit and you dont have to dig into the rockwall,if you dont want to.We will definitly return here.their Website is a little rough,but the actual mine makes up for it.And wear old clothes.
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We spent about five or six hours at the mine. We ( hubby and I) brought a small sledge hammer, chisels, claw hammer, eye protection and gloves. At first all we could find were pieces, and the pile of rocks seemed like it was not going to yield anything, but one we got the hang of breaking the rocks, we found a few very nice crystals. We kept a few in the rocks, and took out others to show off and maybe make into jewelry later. Its fun, and a good workout too ;-)
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If you are willing to go out with a 3 pound hammer and rock chisel this is the place for you. We were there about 2 hours and got 5 stones. 4 good size ones and a small one plus some pieces of rock with small stones in them that we can display.The stones are called Herkimer diamonds and one of our stones is a yellow quartz. You keep all the stones that you gather.
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We visited the Ace of Diamonds mine over Memorial Day weekend 2014. The day was partly cloudy - not the best for crystal hunting, but that's the day we had! We left due to 1. Crazy rain/thunderstorm and 2. Fatigue from breaking rocks. :)The folks @ AoD were super friendly. They have a great shop at the mine where you can rent goggles, hammers, buckets, chisels, screens, etc. Each tool is about $1-2 to rent and you return them at the end of the day. Be prepared for some hard labor to break the rocks. We did find some small crystals on the ground. But I think the good stuff is still hiding in one of those rocks on the hill!We'll definitely be heading back to Ace of Diamonds again!
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After trying the other Mine , we came here the next day and found it MUCH better. They had a greater range of available types of "Minable" material. From huge rocks to huge piles of siftable dirt/rock. The sifting was a lot more age appropriate for my 7 year old and at this mine we found handfuls of Herkimer Diamonds instead of 3-4 at the other mine. We went to the other one since it was supposed to be more "family friendly" (which may be true about their camp ground), but the Mine here is the place to bring your kids (and let them sift), while you smash some rocks - Fun Stuff!
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We had a great time at the Ace of Diamonds mine. Breaking open the rocks is hard work, the men with me enjoyed it, but it was too much for me (a small woman without much muscle).We stayed at a hotel in Utica. The camp facilities at Ace of Diamonds were very basic. The bathroom was small and clean. Driving by the KOA Mine, I'd say the camping there looked like it would be nicer.The mining at Ace of Diamonds was great. We walked up the hill to the back area. It was sunny, spacious, and much less crowded than the front section. I found a lot of very small diamonds just by walking around and picking up anything that sparkled. The guys had some good success finding larger diamonds in almost any rock they picked up. Getting it out of the rock without breaking it was much harder. If you will only be there for a day or two, don't think you'll be chipping away at the quarry wall looking for a huge cashe of crystals, it's just too much work for that short a time.You can rent tools there very cheaply. If you are going to bring your own, I recommend: a hammer, large chisel, very very small chisel, sledge hammer, tweezers, small zip lock bags, and a bucket to carry it all. The ground is too rocky for anything with wheels. Wear weather appropriate clothing, sturdy nonslip shoes, sunglasses and sunscreen. Bring water and a snack. Bring some basic first aid supplies.There were little kids there and they seemed to be having fun. Bring some outdoor toys for them. There is a field and grass they can play in. They will probably loose interest in picking up rocks after an hour or so.