Cape May diamonds
Encyclopedia
Cape May diamonds are quartz
pebbles found on the beaches of Cape May Point, New Jersey
. The pebbles are sometimes collected, cut and polished to resemble diamonds, then sold locally as souvenir
s. Cape May diamonds are usually collected by beach combing and are most abundant at Higbee (sometimes Higby's) and Sunset
beaches in Cape May. Diamonds range in size from the finest sand
to the 3 lbs "Cape May diamond" found in New Castle, Delaware
in 1866.
washed down, and worn smooth in the process, from the upper Delaware River
. Legend has it that the trip is said to take thousands of years. Some more reliable sources have, however, suggested that the pebbles are local in origin, washing out of nearby Pleistocene gravel deposits. Cape May diamonds are sometimes incorrectly described as river-smoothed glass discarded by the New Jersey's once-thriving glass manufacturing industry.
tribe called the Kechemeche
resided in what is now the southern portion of Cape May County, New Jersey
. Various sources attribute the Kechemeche with being the first to find Cape May diamonds and then using them as gifts or for trading with other tribes and with the newly-arriving European colonists.
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
pebbles found on the beaches of Cape May Point, New Jersey
Cape May Point, New Jersey
Cape May Point is a borough located at the tip of the Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the resident population was 291...
. The pebbles are sometimes collected, cut and polished to resemble diamonds, then sold locally as souvenir
Souvenir
A souvenir , memento, keepsake or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. The term souvenir brings to mind the mass-produced kitsch that is the main commodity of souvenir and gift shops in many tourist traps around the world...
s. Cape May diamonds are usually collected by beach combing and are most abundant at Higbee (sometimes Higby's) and Sunset
Sunset Beach (New Jersey)
Sunset Beach is a beach located near Cape May Point, along the Delaware Bay, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a local tourist attraction, in part due to its proximity to the SS Atlantus and the Cape May Light. It is also famous for its beautiful sunsets, and a flag raising-lowering ceremony...
beaches in Cape May. Diamonds range in size from the finest sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
to the 3 lbs "Cape May diamond" found in New Castle, Delaware
New Castle, Delaware
New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River. In 1900, 3,380 people lived here; in 1910, 3,351...
in 1866.
Origin
Cape May diamonds are actually pieces of quartzQuartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
washed down, and worn smooth in the process, from the upper Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. Legend has it that the trip is said to take thousands of years. Some more reliable sources have, however, suggested that the pebbles are local in origin, washing out of nearby Pleistocene gravel deposits. Cape May diamonds are sometimes incorrectly described as river-smoothed glass discarded by the New Jersey's once-thriving glass manufacturing industry.
Historical relevance
The Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe called the Kechemeche
Kechemeche
Kechemeche is the name of a Lenape tribe of Native Americans that lived in the area generally known today as the southern portion of Cape May County, New Jersey, an area bounded on one side by the Atlantic Ocean, and the Delaware River Bay on another....
resided in what is now the southern portion of Cape May County, New Jersey
Cape May County, New Jersey
-Climate:Being the southernmost point in New Jersey, Cape May has fairly mild wintertime temperatures. Contrary to that, the summertime has lower temperatures than most places in the state, making the county a popular place to escape the heat. It is in zone 7a/7b, which is the same as parts of...
. Various sources attribute the Kechemeche with being the first to find Cape May diamonds and then using them as gifts or for trading with other tribes and with the newly-arriving European colonists.