Can you keep the diamonds you find in Arkansas?

Can you keep the diamonds you find in Arkansas?

The answer might surprise you. Arkansas’s Crater of Diamonds State Park is one of the only diamond-producing sites in the world where the public can search for diamonds in their original volcanic source. The policy here is “finders, keepers,” meaning the diamonds you find are yours to keep.

What happened to the Uncle Sam diamond?

Bassum’s big find — nicknamed “The Uncle Sam Diamond,” the largest diamond ever discovered in North America — was later cut down to 12.42 carat and sold for $150,000 in 1971 (About $800,000 today). But his wasn’t the last valuable rock dug out of that Arkansas soil. The 6.35 carat “Roden Diamond” was found in 2006.

Can you keep what you find at Crater of Diamonds?

Visitors to the park search a 37-acre field, the eroded surface of a volcanic crater, for a variety of rocks, minerals, and gemstones – and any rock or mineral you find is yours to keep.

What other gems can be found at Crater of Diamonds?

Amethyst, garnet, jasper, agate, quartz, and more rocks and minerals may also be found at the Crater of Diamonds, making the park a rock hound’s paradise.

How many diamonds have been found at Crater of Diamonds?

75,000 diamonds
In total, over 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed at the Crater of Diamonds since the first diamonds were discovered in 1906 by John Huddleston, a farmer who owned the land long before it became an Arkansas State Park in 1972.

Where is the diamond mine in Arkansas located?

Crater of Diamonds State Park. This diamond mine is located near Murfreesboro, Arkansas. For a fee of a few dollars you can enter the mine, search all day and keep any diamonds that you find. In addition to diamonds, you might find one of the many colorful gemstones that occur naturally there.

When did the crater of diamonds in Arkansas open?

In the early 1950s the property was opened as a public pay-to-prospect mine, and in 1951 the name was changed to the “Crater of Diamonds.” The State of Arkansas purchased the property in 1972 and began operating it as “Crater of Diamonds State Park.” It is still open year-round as a pay-to-prospect mine visited by over 100,000 people per year.

Who is the legend of Diamond John in Arkansas?

The Legend of “Diamond John” – Howard Millar, a former operator of a tourist operation at the Crater of Diamonds and an expert on the crater’s history, wrote in his book, “It Was Finders-Keepers at America’s Only Diamond Mine,” that two geologists had studied the crater site several years before Huddleston found diamonds here.

How big is the diamond reserve in Arkansas?

The portion of the crater that is known to be diamond bearing is about 37 acres and is the eroded surface of an ancient volcanic pipe. Test drilling at the crater has shown that the reserve is shaped like a martini glass. It is believed to be the eighth largest diamond reserve in the world, in surface area.