Mine For Your Own Diamonds
Unlike the Herkimer Diamonds in upstate New York, which aren’t real diamonds, the diamonds located at The Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas are real. This is the only diamond mine in the world open to the public. Visitors must pay a small fee and are able to search for diamonds or other precious gems. If they find something, they are able to keep it regardless of how much it is worth (and there have been some very valuable finds). So, if you’re about to get married, why spend all that money on an engagement ring when you can dig for your own, that’s real commitment right there. In 2008 alone people have found 700 diamonds, 2 of which were over 4 carats. The largest diamond found at this park was the Uncle Sam that was 40 carats.
The Crater of Diamonds State Park is over 900 acres and located over an eroded volcanic pipe, the prime location for diamond formation. There have been two famous diamonds that came from Crater Park, besides the Uncle Sam, and they include the Okie Dokie Diamond and the Strawn-Wagner. The Strawn-Wagner diamond is on display at the park not because of its size, but because of its perfection. It received a 0/0/0 from the American Gem Society. It is the only diamond ever to receive a perfect rating. The Okie Dokie Diamond is the most publicized diamond from the crater and was shown on the Today Show, MSNBC, Inside Edition and Travel Channel and published in Lost Treasure magazine (twice), Western and Eastern Treasures magazine, Mineralogical Record and Rocks & Minerals.
John Huddleston discovered the area in 1906. He found two strange gems on the ground near Murfreesboro, AK and became the first person outside South Africa to find diamonds at their original source. Soon after a diamond rush made Murfreesboro a booming city. In the 1950s until 1971 private tours of the mines were given and in 1972 the mines were turned over to Arkansas. Diamonds have come to represent Arkansas and can be found on the state flag as well as on the back of the Arkansas quarter.
If you get tired of mining though, there are plenty of other things to do at the park. There is a playground for children, a wildlife observation blind, and access to fishing on the Missouri River. The park boasts two relatively short trails (both 1.2 miles). Still, the major attraction is still the diamond mines. Not only can you find diamonds, you can also find jasper and even amethysts. So if you’re ever passing by Arkansas, be sure to check out the Crater, you could get lucky and find some diamonds. Heck, there are some people in Arkansas that live off of their finds, so it can’t have too much to do with luck!