Diggers in the COD diamond field. |
Diamond Mine
Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only diamond-producing site in the world where the public can search for diamonds. And the policy here is “finder’s keepers.” The diamonds you find are yours to keep.
Visitors search atop a 37-acre plowed field, the eroded surface of an ancient, gem-bearing volcanic pipe. Prospectors enter the field through the visitor center that offers exhibits and an A/V program explaining the area’s geology and history. Park staff provides free identification and certification of diamonds.
The first diamond was found here in 1906 by John Huddleston, the farmer who owned the property. The Crater of Diamonds has changed hands several times over the years and several unsuccessful attempts have been made at commercial mining. All such ventures are shrouded in mystery, and lawsuits, lack of money and fires are among the reasons suspected for these failures. The mine was operated privately, and later as a tourist attraction, from 1952 to 1972. In 1972, the State of Arkansas purchased the Crater of Diamonds for development as a state park. The park is open year-round except for New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Pets are allowed at all facilities with the exception of the Diamond Springs Water Park and Kimberlite Cafe', as long as they remain on a leash under the owner's control at all times.
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VIRTUAL TOUR
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Diamond Field
Low | High |
The diamond field is open the same hours as the Visitor Center. The park features a 37-acre field of diamond bearing soil plowed periodically when weather allows. These plowings are unscheduled. Historical structures, old mining equipment, washing pavilions, and sun shelters are located on the field. Diamond mining tools are available for rent or purchase. Diamonds and other minerals are identified at the Diamond Discovery Center.
Fees to search for Diamonds
| Adults: |
$6.50 |
| Children (ages 6-12): |
$3.50 |
| Children under 6 years old: |
FREE |
Organized groups of 15 or more may receive half price admission if we are notified in advance of your visit.
From Memorial Day through Labor Day tickets purchased after 6pm are also good for the following day.
What Should I Bring?
Tools are not necessary for diamond searching. A good way to search for diamonds is to walk up and down the rows looking for diamonds lying on top of the ground. However, most visitors do like to dig in the soil. Therefore, you have the options of bringing your own tools from home or you may purchase or rent tools here.
Diamond mining tools. |
You may use anything that does not have a battery, motor, or wheels on it for transporting equipment in and out of the search area. People bring anything from small flower bed trowels to full size shovels. Some visitors choose to make their own sifting screens and bring them. It is your choice.
If you choose get tools at the park, then you can purchase the small flowerbed trowels and cultivators in the gift shop. If you prefer renting tools, we have several different size shovels and screens for you to choose from. The most commonly rented items are listed below. Along with the rental fee, a deposit is charged on each item to make sure the visitor returns the equipment and that the equipment is returned in good condition. The deposit amount is refunded to the visitor when the tools are returned.
Rental equipment is available at the Diamond Discovery Center, and includes the items listed below.
Rental Equipment Available Year Round
|
Daily rent plus tax |
Deposit |
| Small wooden box screen |
$2.25 |
$10.00 |
| 5 gallon plastic bucket |
$2.25 |
$5.00 |
| Folding army shovel |
$2.25 |
$10.00 |
| Knee Pads |
$2.25 |
$5.00 |
| Screen Set |
$3.25 |
$20.00 |
| Saruca (finishing screen) |
$3.25 |
$40.00 |
| Basic Diamond Hunting Kit |
$7.75 |
$35.00 |
| (folding shovel, screen set, 5 gallon bucket) |
| Advanced Diamond Hunting Kit |
$11.00 |
$60.00 |
(folding shovel, screen set, 5 gallon bucket, saruca)
(rental prices are per day and tax is not included) |
What should I wear?
If it is wet you will need some old shoes or boots because the field will be very muddy. In the summer, a hat and some sunscreen will be necessary to protect you from the sun.
What do Diamonds look like?
| Shape: |
Diamonds found at the Crater are typically smooth and well rounded. Their
shape resembles a polished stone with smooth sides and rounded edges. |
| Size: |
The average size of a diamonds is about the size of a paper match head,
approximately 20 - 25 points. Points are an increment of measurement of
diamonds. There are 100 points in a carat. Look for something small.
A 1-carat diamond is about the size of a green pea.
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| Appearance: |
Diamonds feel like they have an oily film on them. This characteristic
prevents diamonds from being dirty. Diamonds have a metallic luster like
new steel or lead. They will not be clear like glass. They do not have a solid
dull look like the Jasper rocks. Diamonds are translucent. You can typically see into
them but not through them.
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| Color: |
The most common colors of diamonds are white, yellow and brown. |
The park offers free rock and mineral identification at the Visitor Center.
Diamonds are weighed and certified free of charge for the finder.
What is a carat?
A unit of weight for precious stones, equal to 200 milligrams. It is thought that the name carat was derived from the carob tree. Carob trees are native to the Old World (Asia, Africa, and Europe) and are known for its uniformly consistent small seeds. Gemstones, including diamonds were weighed for years against these seeds. A diamond that weighs 100 points would also be 1 carat. 1 carat is equal to 100 points. A diamond that is larger than one carat would be listed as a whole number plus the number of points it was. For example a diamond that was 1 carat and 25 points would be listed as 1.25 carats.
How do I search for diamonds?
How you search for diamonds usually depends on how much time you have to search or how hard you want to work.
There are three methods of diamond searching. Surface searching is walking up and down the rows of dirt looking for diamonds lying on top of the ground. This is the most productive method following a hard rain. Rain washes the soil away, leaving diamonds and other rocks and minerals exposed on the surface.
Most visitors like to dig around in the soil and screen for diamonds. This usually involves searching through the first six inches to one foot of soil. Visitors can turn the soil over with a small hand tool while looking in the loose soil. Some visitors like to use a screen to sift the soil.
The third method of diamond hunting requires a lot of hard work, and previous experience is helpful. This method is usually preferred by the repeat or regular visitor, and involves the digging of deep holes, removal of the right type soil, washing the soil in a series of screens and patiently hand sorting the concentrated gravels from the screens. Some searchers are looking for low areas in the field where diamonds may have settled out over the years, or for tailings from the earlier commercial mining plants of the 20's and 30's. Tailings are the waste gravel that went out of the plant. Over the years, these tailing piles are covered by topsoil. The experienced regular hunters look for the tiny gravel, dig it up and wash it again by hand, looking for the small diamonds.
Are the diamonds valuable?
The park staff can identify diamonds, but are not trained nor do they have the equipment to assess the value of a diamond. The monetary value of a diamond rests in the possibility of the diamond being cut. Several large diamonds, from the Crater, have been cut into D Flawless stones, which would bring top dollar. Should you find a large diamond that might be cut, the park staff can provide you with a list of diamond cutters.
Most diamonds found are small diamonds that would not be cut. They will be valued souvenirs of your trip to the Crater. If desired, rough diamonds can be mounted in jewelry and worn. The most popular method of displaying a rough diamond is to have it mounted in a pendant and worn around the neck.
In the local area, rough diamonds value from $1.00 per point to $10.00 per point or more. Therefore, a small souvenir diamond weighing 10 points might sell for $10.00 to $100.00 depending on the quality. However, the true value of a diamond rests with you, the finder.
Diamond Finds: May 2008
Total Diamonds Found in April 2008: 120
Total Diamonds Found in 2007: 1024
Famous Finds
The Strawn-Wagner Diamond |
The "Strawn-Wagner Diamond"
On permanent display at Arkansas's Crater of Diamonds State Park, where it was discovered, the "Strawn-Wagner Diamond" is the most perfect diamond the American Gem Society (AGS) ever certified. Graded the perfect grade of O/O/O (Ideal cut/D color/ Flawless), or "Triple Zero," it is the highest grade a diamond can achieve. This is the most perfect a cut diamond can be. A diamond this perfect is so rare than most jewelers and gemologists will never see one during their entire career.
Found at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in 1990 by Shirley Strawn of Murfreesboro, Arkansas, this diamond weighed 3.03 carats in the rough. In 1997, under the recommendation of Bill Underwood, Arkansas's first certified gemologist, the gem was sent to Lazare Kaplan International of New York for cutting. Lazare Kaplan cut the gem to perfection into a 1.09-carat, round brilliant shape diamond featuring an "Ideal Cut." This cut allows for the maximum amount of light to be reflected from one facet to another and up through the top.
The Strawn-Wagner Diamond |
In 1998, the AGS certified this diamond. A diamond this perfect, and weighing over a carat after cutting, is estimated to occur one time in a billion. Its occurrence is even more rare coming from a non-commercial diamond mine.
Underwood's Fine Jewelers of Fayetteville, Arkansas, handcrafted the mounting of pure platinum and pure 24-karat gold to be symbolic of Arkansas, The Natural State. The platinum shank has a thin inlay of gold in the middle. Two gold apple blossoms on each side of the crown represent Arkansas's state flower.
Nature formed, and man then transformed this diamond to the perfect one-in-a-billion gem you see today.
The "Uncle Sam" Diamond
This 40.23-carat, white diamond is the largest diamond ever found in North America. Discovered here in 1924, it was named the "Uncle Sam." Legend has it that the diamond was named after it's finder, W.D. Bassum, who went by the nickname, "Uncle Sam." Over the years, it was cut twice; the second cutting resulted in a 12.42-carat, emerald-cut gem.
The "Kahn Canary" Diamond
The 4.25-carat "Kahn Canary" was worn by First Lady Hillary Clinton at her husband's Presidential Inaugural galas in 1993 and 1997 as a special, unique way to represent Arkansas. The diamond's owner, Stan Kahn of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, loaned the diamond to Mrs. Clinton.
Nature formed this diamond into a perfect dodecahedral, pillow shape, and gave it a vibrant yellow color, called "canary" in the diamond industry. Left uncut because of its flawless natural beauty, this stunning diamond captivates its viewers in its raw form-just the way the forces of heat and pressure created it.
The "Kahn Canary Diamond" is often on temporary display at prestigious museums and diamond and jewelry exhibitions around the world.
George Stepp, a logger from Carthage, Arkansas, discovered this splendid stone at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 1977, and Mr. Kahn later purchased the diamond from him.
The "Amarillo Starlight" Diamond
This 16.37-carat white gem is the largest diamond ever unearthed by a park visitor following the Crater's establishment as a state park in 1972. W. W. Johnson of Amarillo, Texas found this impressive diamond in 1975 while vacationing here with his family. The diamond was cut into a 7.54-carat marquise shape.
| NAME | YEAR FOUND | ROUGH WEIGHT | CUT WEIGHT | COLOR |
| "Uncle Sam" | 1924 | 40.23 carats | 12.42 carats | white |
| "Amarillo Starlight" | 1975 | 16.37 carats | 7.54 carats | white |
| "Star of Arkansas" | 1956 | 15.33 carats | 8.27 carats | white |
| "Star of Shreveport" | 1981 | 8.82 carats | uncut | white |
| Lamle diamond | 1978 | 8.61 carats | | brown |
| Connell diamond | 1986 | 7.95 carats | | white |
| Dickinson/Stevens diamond | 1998 | 7.28 carats | uncut | yellow |
| Cooper diamond | 1997 | 6.72 carats | uncut | brown |
| "Gary Moore Diamond" | 1960 | 6.43 carats | uncut | canary |
| Roden Diamond | 2006 | 6.35 carats | uncut | brown |
| Lee diamond | 1988 | 6.30 carats | | white |
| Newman diamond | 1981 | 6.25 carats | | white |
| Fedzora diamond | 1991 | 6.23 carats | | white |
| Stockton diamond | 1981 | 6.20 carats | | white |
| Schall diamond | 1981 | 6.07 carats | | white |
| Cooper diamond | 1997 | 6.00 carats | | brown |
| "Kahn Canary" | 1977 | 4.25 carats | uncut | canary |
| "Strawn-Wagner Diamond" | 1990 | 3.03 carats | 1.09 carats | white |
This list of notable diamonds from the Crater of Diamonds includes all diamonds weighing six carats or more, and the much publicized "Strawn-Wagner Diamond," "Uncle Sam" Diamond, "Kahn Canary" Diamond" and "Amarillo Starlight" Diamond.
