Are these diamonds.

[Afgdiamonds]

Hello. I am posting because my uncle went to Afghanistan in search of gold but rather he has struck a gemstone pileup. These stones look like diamonds but nobody over there has the intelligence to actually identify them. Could you please help.

 

[HopeDream]

Not likely. Afghanistan doesn't have natural diamond deposits at part of it's geology. Maybe quartz? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herkimer_diamond
Avoid them. If they are, any rough not certified under the Kimberley Process is likely funding war and violence http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley_Process_Certification_Scheme

 

[VRBeauty]

I agree they're not likely to be diamonds. You can google "identifying mineral crystals" or to find images various crystal types to compare to the stones you have. Or you can see if there's a store that sells rocks and minerals near you - someone there could probably identify the crystals for you on site. If there's a local gemnological society near you, you could give them a call. A jewelry appraiser or large, well-established pawn shop would be able to test the stones for you for a fee.

ETA it just occurred to me that you're probably trying to help your uncle from afar, and that the crystals are still in Afghanistan. Buying minerals as an investment without knowing anything about minerals sounds to me like a recipe for getting fleeced. And "we don't think these are diamonds but *wink* *wink* we don't know for sure," is a sure way to get fleeced. Afghanistan is the source of many beautiful minerals. You can bet that even in troubled times (which the Afghanis are, unfortunately, very used to) the locals can find some way to identify potentially valuable crystals.

 

[denverappraiser]

No, they are not diamonds.
How do I know? Diamonds come in several different crystal structures or 'habits'. That's the shape of the crystal. These are hexagonal. Diamonds aren't.
There are several minerals that could possibly look like this but by far the most common is quartz.

Incidentally, that's a cool bracelet.

 

[kenny]

I have no gemological expertise, but someone saying, "You wanna buy these? They may be diamonds." is enough of a red flag to get me to run away screaming.

 

[Evert P Botha]

Probably quartz at best (imho).

We're going digging for diamonds in Arkansas September 24th and will hopefully find something small...even if it is only a couple of points.

 

[denverappraiser]

Probably quartz at best (imho).

We're going digging for diamonds in Arkansas September 24th and will hopefully find something small...even if it is only a couple of points.

Cool.

Am I correct that normally you don’t have anything to do with the mining of the diamonds you cut?

Not that it’s all that likely but does NAFTA make it that a diamond mined in the US and cut by you guys in Canada would be eligible for a Canadamark?

 

[Sunstorm]

I also think that because of their crystal structure and appearance they are most likely to be quartz.

I too want to go to Arkansas badly! Good for you. Maybe you will be the next to find a big fancy or colorless. Keep us posted.

 

[Evert P Botha]

Doing the Arkansas Diamond Dig has been on my bucket list for several years now, so getting to do this next week with Stanley Jewelers Gemologist is going to be quite an experience. Fingers crossed! I believe that there's are plans in motion to start issuing KP's for the export of Arkansas diamonds (tourists from Canada, China, Germany) in coming months- and who knows, perhaps even a brand, perhaps Arkanada(?) in the works. I'm hoping that someone finds something worthwhile for us to cut- it will certainly be a first for us.

As for CanadaMark, that's reserved exclusively for Dominion Diamond Corporations' Ekati and Diavik production.