Diamonds in Virginia?
While toodling along the web on some other business this week, I stumbled across this publication by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy.
I had no idea that there were any diamond finds in Virginia. But apparently there are, scattered across three different physiographic provinces!
On Thursday's excursion, Chris and I tried to find the "Front Royal Peridotite," one of seven locations mentioned in the DMME publication. It's a single dike which crosses State Road 626 southeast of Waterlick, Virginia. But to no avail! There were no outcrops visible on either side of the road, and there was a dense little cluster of houses bearing manicured lawns. Bummer. That would have been cool.
I'll try and visit a couple other localities mentioned in the report over the next year or so, and hopefully I'll find some of these igneous source rocks, though I don't hold out much hope of actual diamonds.
I had no idea that there were any diamond finds in Virginia. But apparently there are, scattered across three different physiographic provinces!
On Thursday's excursion, Chris and I tried to find the "Front Royal Peridotite," one of seven locations mentioned in the DMME publication. It's a single dike which crosses State Road 626 southeast of Waterlick, Virginia. But to no avail! There were no outcrops visible on either side of the road, and there was a dense little cluster of houses bearing manicured lawns. Bummer. That would have been cool.
I'll try and visit a couple other localities mentioned in the report over the next year or so, and hopefully I'll find some of these igneous source rocks, though I don't hold out much hope of actual diamonds.
Labels: blue ridge, diamonds, minerals, piedmont, valley and ridge, virginia
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