In a pine forested area of southwest Arkansas there is a treasure trove. It is not some long buried loot from the days of the American “Wild West” or an archaeological find from ancient history, it is a 35-acre field loaded with diamonds.At the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas the public is welcomed into the world’s only diamond site that allows free exploration of an active diamond field, and where “finder’s keepers” is the only rule. Since 1972, when the state of Arkansas purchased the properties that make up the park, over 26,000 diamonds have been found. The site is the eighth largest diamond deposit in the world, and the only one opened to the public.
The history of the field goes back over 95 million years ago when a volcanic vent exploded and left behind an 83-acre crater loaded with diamonds and other minerals and gems. Today, 37.5 acres of the original crater are open to the public. The structure of the crater, which is constantly under the natural forces of erosion, creates a situation where diamonds are found literally just lying on the surface of the soil. In 2007 a young girl from Missouri was walking a service path, traveled daily by prospectors and park vehicles, when she glanced down and saw a shiny stone. What she had found was a 2.63 carat diamond, which she quickly named the “Pathfinder Diamond“.
While diamonds come in almost any color, the primary colors found at the Crater of Diamonds State Park are white, yellow and brown. Diamonds of significant size have been discovered in the Park; in fact the largest diamond found in the United States was discovered in the Park. Named “Uncle Sam,” it was found in 1924 by W.O. Bassum. The light-brown rough stone weighed in at over 42 carats, but was cut twice resulting in a 12 carat emerald cut stone that sold in 1971 for $150,000. Another stone of note is the “Strawn-Wagner Diamond” - the most perfect diamond the American Gem Society has ever certified. This stone is on permanent display at the Park’s Visitor’s Center.
Diamonds are not the only treasures available to visitors to the park. Also in the crater and soil surrounding the area are semi-precious stones such as peridot and garnet, amethyst and quartz. Mineral enthusiasts also find their own treasures and collections in their journeys to the Crater.
A novice to gems and minerals does not need to worry, as the park has staff offering free help in identification of finds. But not everyone will find a diamond sitting along the road, and there are some basic tools involved in a good search. The Park rents shovel, screens and even knee pads for visitors who decide to dig for treasure.
Are there any other diamond mining areas or regions in the United States? No, currently the Crater of Diamonds is the only active diamond mining operation in the country. In the past there have been several states where mining for diamonds existed. Geologists note that Colorado, Minnesota and Alaska are potentially good sites for such operations. The Kelsey Lake Mine on the Wyoming-Colorado border closed in 2002, and since that time there has been no diamond industry operating on a large-scale commercial level in the United States.
Geologists explain that areas are selected for mining in much the same way that the Crater of Diamonds was selected by John Branner in 1889 - by soil composition. A type of rock called peridotite is usually an indicator of the volcanic activity which produces diamond lodes. Branner traveled to Arkansas and began a search of the area, but failed to find diamonds. In 1906 however, landowner John Huddleston discovered diamonds in the Arkansas soil the Branner had indicated. Oddly enough his first discovery did not involve digging into the soil, but was a diamond lying on the surface. The location of the first find by Huddleston is indicated with a historical marker at the Crater of Diamonds State Park.
The amazing thing about the Crater of Diamonds’ field is the fact that only 160 feet of the original depth of the crater has eroded, meaning there are still thousands of gems, minerals, and diamonds to be discovered.
Diamond hunters should not be looking for a gleaming stone shining up at them from the dirt. A description of a rough diamond is more of a rounded, smooth stone in a white, yellow or light brown color. A diamond hunter will see into the stone, but a diamond is not clear, the eye will not see directly through a diamond. One of the unique physical properties of diamonds is their oil-like texture, making them waterproof, which helps in identifying a rough stone.
Once a diamond has been discovered it should be graded and if desired cut and made into a piece of jewelry or sold as a certified loose diamond.
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