Shore Lore: Diamonds in the Rough

by Alexis Crisman Kelly   
Posted February 4, 2008

Are Cape May diamonds really diamonds? Not exactly. “They are pure quartz crystal stones,” says Megan Hutton of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May. The little gems start their journey, which takes thousands of years, about 200 miles to the north, near the Delaware Water Gap, and end up on Sunset Beach. They become clear when put in a rock tumbler, so look for your diamond in the rough as a white frosted pebble.