Crater of Diamonds State Park
Almost every day, people find an average of two diamonds at the Crater of Diamonds State Park. When they find them, it really is a case of “finders, keepers” because the park’s policy is and has always been that if you find something there you can keep it for yourself – even if it’s very valuable.
The park sits over a lamproite volcanic pipe, which is a geologic formation that resulted from a prehistoric volcanic explosion. That makes for some good diamonds. The lava reacts with the carbon and all the pressure combined with the heat makes the carbon atoms line up in such a way that makes diamonds.
That long-ago volcanic explosion provided the perfect breeding ground (so to speak) for diamonds. It is also the only chock-full diamond site that is open to the public. Not only will you find diamonds there, but also other gemstones and minerals. You can dig all day and find amethysts, agate, garnet, quartz, and even diamonds.
While you might only find a few keepsakes, a couple of people have really done well digging in the treasure-filled dirt at Crater of Diamonds. The first was a farmer who found something sparkly on his land. His name was John Huddleston, and he was the first person to ever find a diamond at its original source – other than in South Africa. The original source just happened to be on his own farm, which he promptly sold to some investors who tried to mine it commercially.
That did not work out so well, though the town did boom because of all of the diamonds and diamond potential. The boom didn’t take either, and most of the boomtown area is now pasture. In the spring of 1972, the lands surrounding the crater and the crater itself became Crater of Diamonds State park, owned by the State of Arkansas. Since then, some pretty impressive diamonds have been found, though none rival the first few beauties.
A 17.86-carat canary yellow diamond is on display in the National Museum of National History. It was unearthed by Lee J. Wagner in 1917. He worked for the Arkansas Diamond Company, a company owned by the investors that owned the land at that time. The largest diamond to ever come out of North America was called the Uncle Sam Diamond. It was uncovered in 1924. It was a whopping 40.23 carats. Wesley Oley Basham, a worker at the Arkansas Diamond Company, found it and it went on to belong to a private owner. The Arkansas Diamond Company obviously did not have the same “you find it, you keep it” policy that Crater of Diamonds State Park does.
Some diamonds that have been found on the land in more recent times (since it became a state park) have been quite valuable. Most notable, perhaps, is not the biggest. The 3.09 “Strawn-Wagner Diamond” is the most perfect diamond ever found. After it was cut into a 1.09 carat diamond the American Gem Society graded it a “perfect” 0/0/0. It was the first ever diamond to receive that type of rating. Mrs. Strawn must have been pretty generous, because the diamond is on exhibit at the park itself.
Sometimes diamonds are not a girl’s best friend, it would seem.
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