1- DIAMONDS in Colorado & Wyoming. Start out by visiting the Great Diamond Hoax site at Diamond Peak in northwestern Colorado. In 1871, two prospectors salted a sandstone outcrop with several pounds of diamonds, rubies & sapphires & swindled Civil war generals, two presidential candidates, a congressman and other investors. More than 100 years later, I found the site with another geologist & panned out 4 diamonds, 17 rubies and 23 garnets left by the scam artists (find the approximate location by searching for ‘Diamond Field Draw, CO on Google Earth) (see: http://GemHunter.webs.com).

Next, select (CEDAR MOUNTAIN ,Wyoming on Google Earth). Butcherknife Draw is located to the northeast of Cedar Mountain and has dozens of anthills with fabulous Cape Ruby (garnet) & Cape Emerald (diopside) & diamond (http://gemstonehunter.blogspot.com/2008/12/cape-rubies-cape-emeralds-garnets.html).
Some of these gems are similar to those used to salt the Great Diamond Hoax area.

Finally, select VIRGINA-DALE, CO in Google Earth). This will take you right to the middle of the largest diamondiferous kimberlite district in the US and potentially one of the largest in the world. In 1960, kimberlite was accidentally discovered here, but it was not until 1975 that it was accidentally discovered by the USGS. During sample preparation, a carborundum grinding wheel was carved by tiny diamonds from a rock collected from one of the State Line kimberlites. Since then, more than 130,000 diamonds were recovered from microdiamonds to a 28.3 carat gemstone. The district has fabulous specimens of kimberlite along with gem-quality pyrope garnet (Cape Ruby) and gem-quality chromian diopside (Cape Emerald). In the last couple of years, I found another 200+ kimberlites in this region. Many appear like impact features. (see: http://discussionsondiamonds.blogspot.com).

3  out of 3 found this valuable. Do you find this valuable? Do you?