Arkansas Hosts the Planet’s Only Public Diamond Mine
1 min read
Summary
Crater of Diamonds State Park in Southwest Arkansas is an ancient volcano that erupted around 100 million years ago, bringing diamonds that were formed deep in the earth’s mantle to the surface.
Many commercial digs have taken place at the site since the early 1900s, before it became a state park in 1972, and visitors are able to search for diamonds and keep anything that they find.
Visitors do not need licenses or time limits and are allowed to use non-motorised equipment, but they must fill any holes they dig before they leave.
Over 35,000 diamonds have been found since the park opened, including the largest diamond ever discovered in the USA, the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam diamond.
A blogger who visited the park said that visitors find one or two diamonds a day, and that most are the size of a paperhead.
However, even these small diamonds are precious and those who find them can get them identified for free by park staff.
The park is a popular visitor attraction, with overnight camping and a water park on site, and tickets are reasonably priced at 15foradultsand7 for children.
