The diamonds shaped beneath excessive strain and warmth deep within the Earth’s mantle. For those who discover one, it can probably appear to be a metallic or glassy pebble reasonably than a glittery lower gem that you simply may image in your thoughts. The volcanic soil additionally accommodates amethyst, garnet, jasper, agate, and varied forms of quartz. (You may maintain these, too.)
The biggest diamond present in the USA got here from this area—the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam diamond, discovered in 1924 earlier than the land turned a state park. In September 2021, California customer Noreen Wredberg found a 4.38-carat yellow diamond after looking for two hours, and in 2024 a customer named Julien Navas found a 7.46-carat diamond on the park.
The park acquired over 180,000 guests in 2017, who discovered 450 licensed diamonds of varied colours. Of the reported diamond finds, 299 had been white, 72 had been brown, and 74 had been yellow.
Park employees instructed Mays that guests discover one or two diamonds each day, so “maintain your expectations in verify,” she writes. Most diamonds found are in regards to the measurement of a paper match head, whereas a 1-carat diamond is roughly the dimensions of a inexperienced pea. However even tiny diamonds carry the joys of discovery. Park employees present free identification providers, analyzing finds beneath loupes and confirming whether or not that glassy pebble is quartz or one thing extra priceless.
A Household Expertise
For these wanting to affix the hundreds who go to every year, the park makes it inexpensive. Admission is $15 for adults, $7 for kids ages 6 to 12. You may camp in a single day on the park and return to the sector at daybreak. Throughout summer time months, the park operates a small water park—an acknowledgment that diamond looking in Arkansas will be brutal, with a warmth index exceeding 110 levels Fahrenheit.
Generally rain turns the sector to mud, which skilled searchers choose as a result of it makes diamonds simpler to identify—however it could actually make for a messy journey. As Mays put it, “Most guests go away with a handful of attention-grabbing rocks, some newfound information, and an pressing want for an extended bathe.”
For those who don’t discover any diamonds on the park, don’t despair—you can potentially buy a $200,000 diamond-making machine on Alibaba.
This story initially appeared on Ars Technica.
