The Only Diamond Mine In the World Where You Can Be the Miner

If you have a strong interest in gemstones you would probably love to have an opportunity to mine for diamonds yourself. Here's where you can go - it is the only producing diamond mine in the United States and the only diamond mine in the world where you
can be the miner.

Crater of Diamonds State Park

This diamond mine is located near Murfreesboro, Arkansas. For a fee of a few dollars you can enter the mine, search all day and keep any diamonds that you find. In addition to diamonds, you might find one of the many colorful gemstones that occur naturally there. These include: amethyst, agate, jasper, garnet, peridot, hematite and many others.

The diamonds at the Park occur in the soil and that makes them easy to look for. Some people find them after it rains by walking through the field looking for the bright reflection of a diamond that has been washed clean by the rain. Other people dig in the soil and carefully search through it one shovel-full at a time. You can bring your own tools or rent tools at the Park. Power tools are not allowed, however, the Park periodically plows the diamond field to turn up fresh soil. (See the satellite image at right for a view of the plowed fields of the Park.)

Searching is easy but you will need a combination of luck, patience and a very sharp eye to find a diamond. Most people don't find a diamond during their visit but a few miners have been extremely successful. Every one has fun.