Crater Of Diamonds – Search For Diamonds
I have a list of about 100 things I want to do and places I want to go that I look at every so often and add new things to it when I hear about things that interest me. My latest addition is to go digging for diamonds! Apparently there is a State Park in Arkansas where the public can go digging for diamonds for $6 a day and keep anything they find:
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.
There are several reasons that I like this idea:
Since the crater is in Arkansas which is not on any of my current vacation plans, it may be awhile before I get a chance to do this, but if I am traveling in the area, it will certainly be there. The digging for diamonds joins searching for sunken treasure, gold panning and beach combing as trips on my list that could ultimately pay for themselves (although I have no expectation they will – I just enjoy the hunt).
I went to the Arkansas state park as a kid and dug for diamonds. It’s a complete waste of time. You have a better chance of finding a diamond walking along the average beach. A better idea would be to visit other extinct volcanoes to look for diamonds on your own.