Arkansas Hosts the Planet’s Only Public Diamond Mine

The diamonds formed nether utmost unit and vigor heavy successful the Earth’s mantle. If you find one, it volition astir apt look similar a metallic oregon glassy pebble alternatively than a sparkly chopped gem that you mightiness representation successful your mind. The volcanic ungraded besides contains amethyst, garnet, jasper, agate, and assorted types of quartz (and you tin support those, too).

The largest diamond recovered successful the United States came from this field—the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam diamond, discovered successful 1924 earlier the onshore became a authorities park. In September 2021, California visitant Noreen Wredberg found a 4.38-carat yellowish diamond aft searching for 2 hours, and successful 2024, a visitant named Julien Navas found a 7.46-carat diamond astatine the park.

The parkland received implicit 180,000 visitors successful 2017, who recovered 450 certified diamonds of assorted colors. Of the reported diamond finds, 299 were white, 72 were brown, and 74 were yellow.

Park unit told Mays that visitors find 1 oregon 2 diamonds daily, truthful “keep your expectations successful check,” she writes. Most diamonds discovered are astir the size of a insubstantial lucifer head, portion a one-carat diamond is astir the size of a greenish pea. But adjacent tiny diamonds transportation the thrill of discovery. Park unit supply escaped recognition services, examining finds nether loupes and confirming whether that glassy pebble is quartz oregon thing much valuable.

A Family Experience

For those wanting to articulation the thousands who sojourn each year, the parkland makes it affordable. Admission costs $15 for adults, $7 for children ages 6–12. You tin campy overnight astatine the parkland and instrumentality to the tract astatine dawn. During summertime months, the parkland operates a tiny h2o park—an acknowledgment that diamond hunting successful Arkansas tin beryllium brutal, with a vigor scale exceeding 110° Fahrenheit.

Sometimes rainfall turns the tract into mud, which experienced searchers similar due to the fact that it makes diamonds easier to spot—but it tin marque for a messy adventure. As Mays enactment it, “Most visitors permission with a fistful of absorbing rocks, immoderate newfound knowledge, and an urgent request for a agelong shower.”

If you don’t find immoderate diamonds astatine the park, don’t despair—you could inactive potentially buy a $200,000 diamond-making instrumentality connected Alibaba.

This communicative primitively appeared on Ars Technica.