Imagine a place you can visit and search for real diamonds. At the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, United States, you can do exactly that. The unique experience allows the public to search for real diamonds in their original volcanic source, drawing in visitors from across the world to search the huge 37-acre field for literal hidden gems.
Whatever you find at the park is yours to keep, Arkansas park website states, and visitors are free to bring their own mining equipment or rent tools from the park as they commence their search. The Crater of Diamonds officially became an Arkansas state park in 1972, and since then more than a whopping 35,000 diamonds have been uncovered by visitors, including a 40.23-carat diamonds, the largest ever found in the US.
Visitors are also educated on diamonds while at the park, which aids them in their searches. The park’s visitor centre features real, uncut diamonds available on view and hosts exhibitions that illustrate “the area’s unique history and geology”.
Diamond Discovery Centre is where visitors learn about the rocks and minerals found at the park, as well as a number of techniques used to search for them. With diamond mining demonstrations and other programs provided by the park staff, visitors can easily pick up the necessary skills to make the most out of their search.
In April, David DeCook, a regular visitor, took home a 3.81-carat brown diamond, the largest diamond registered so far this year and the largest David has ever found.
Prior to his successful find, the park experienced rain, which could have contributed to his lucky day. Rain causes erosion in the search area, often resulting in a rise in surface finds.
“April has been a very wet month at the park, with more than 12 inches of rain,” says assistant park superintendent Waymon Cox. “Many of the park’s largest diamonds are found on top of the ground. As rain falls in the search area, it washes away the dirt and uncovers heavy rocks, minerals, and diamonds near the surface.”
Admission for the park costs $13.04 (£9.75) for adults and $6.09 (£4.55) for children, and the diamond search area is open daily from 8am to 4pm.
