West of Little Rock, deep among the pines, you can dig for diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park. Finders keepers!
A million years ago a volcano exploded in central Arkansas. It left a vein of diamonds in its wake, and if you’re up for some adventure you can search for gems at Crater of Diamonds State Park. It’s the 8th largest diamond mine in the world.
The diamond mining expedition begins at the Visitors Center. Here you can watch a video on various prospecting techniques and rent equipment like shovels and sifting screens.
What you’re searching for is round, smooth, shiny rocks. Over 35,000 diamonds have been found since the property became a state park in 1972. Most are no bigger than a matchhead, but at least once a month someone finds a diamond several carats in size. Here’s what they look like…
What’s called the Diamond Mines is actually a big plowed field. Muddy if it’s been raining. Dusty if it’s dry.
Would-be prospectors are invited to dig around in the dirt. Just fill the hole before you leave, please!
Power equipment is not permitted. You must dig by hand. Most folks use a shake screen to sift through the dirt and gravel.
Rinsing the gravel with water helps, and there’s several stations available to wash out your digs. Or you can just use a puddle.
Surface hunting is the easiest way to look for diamonds. That’s just walking slowly and poking at shiny rocks with your toe. That’s the method I employed most on those days I called myself a Prospector. Although I did scrape a little dirt with a cheap garden trowel.
Crowd size is limited at Crater of Diamonds by virtue of an admission ticket. It’s only $15 for a whole day of dreaming of finding the Big One.
You can keep anything you find. Finders keepers. Folks have been digging here for about 100 years, and the mine keeps yielding more diamonds.
Park Rangers will help you identify any rocks you find: “This one is mica, this one is quartz…” Nobody I talked to had found any diamonds that day, but they were all coming back tomorrow to try again!
I spent two days looking for diamonds, but by the second afternoon I lolled in the shade a little more and dug a little less. Prospecting is hard work!
Did I find any diamonds? Nope.
Was it fun? Absolutely!
Square cut or pear shape, these rocks don’t lose their shape…
2 comments
Great story and pictures. I feel like I was with you on the dig.
Ahh, bad luck on having diamonds elude you. Still an adventure…and one you can definitely use in a future story! Everything is fodder for the muse 🙂
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