We tend to take Herkimer Diamonds for granted around here.

If you spent time in the Mohawk Valley, you probably came across Herkimer Diamonds in your backyard; You might be surprised that these unique quartz stones are actually rare, highly sought after, and only available in this part of the world.

So, here are 5 things you probably are not aware of when it comes the Herkimer Diamond.

1. Herkimer Diamonds have 18 sides and come out of the ground brilliant and shiny, double terminated, in a hexagonal shape. It's completely unique and can be found only in the Herkimer County region which was once covered by seawater nearly 500 million years ago.

2.  Megan Markel owns Herkimer Diamonds jewelry and you often times see it sold live on the Home Shopping Network, with live broadcasts featuring mine owner Dr. Renee Shevat, from Herkimer. The jewelry made from Herkimer Diamonds consistently sells-out on the HSN live broadcasts.

3. Mohawk Indians of the Iroquois League valued Herkimer Diamonds and often time traded them with other Iroquois nations, including the Oneida Nation. They were considered extremely valuable and were also used to make tools.

4. Herkimer Diamonds are not all clear. Some rare Herkimers, which can be very valuable, are white, smoky, champagne, golden and golden-red.

5. The Herkimer Diamond Mines Resort and KOA campground has expanded tremendously over recent years, adding cabins, restaurants, camping facilities, and even a restored barn for wedding receptions.

For information on a staycation or overnight stays at the Herkimer Diamonds Resort, visit their website here.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

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