What do you think of when you think of diamonds? Elegance? Wealth? Tiffany's? Diamond mines? Probably not Murfreesboro in the state of Arkansas. Definitely not Murfreesboro, Arkansas, actually. If you heard there was a state park covered in diamonds you'd assume it was in Colorado or something. But, as it turns out, an Arkansas State Park there is absolutely loaded with diamonds. That'd be the Crater of Diamonds State Park, in which park visitors can literally just walk around and go diamond hunting. Off Arkansas Highway 301, you can find rocks in the diamond field that a princess would call extravagant.
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The volcanic crater in Crater of Diamonds State Park is a diamond-bearing gold mine (for lack of a better description). More than 33,100 diamonds have been found in the park by visitors and campers since 1970, including some so big they would make any girl being proposed to swoon so hard they'd pass out. That includes one epic 40.23-carat diamond nicknamed Uncle Sam. That's the largest diamond ever unearthed in the United States. (So you know this place is legit.) If that's not enough to convince you to try your hand as a prospector and start sifting through Arkansas for diamonds we're not sure what is.
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The Diamond Discovery Center at Crater of Diamonds State Park helps park visitors channel their inner diamond hunter and enter the diamond search area ready to find large diamonds the size of a pinto bean. At the park's visitor center you can learn about the history of the park from the park staff and see real, uncut diamonds that have been found prospecting in the park. There's also a gift shop ( It's not exactly a David Yurman store) in case the only diamonds you can find on-site are in the store instead of the ground.
The volcanic crater is filled with a ton of rocks, minerals, and gemstones. The diamond finds of a lifetime are waiting for you in the natural erosion of Crater of Diamonds State Park and that is honestly one of the most generous things I've ever heard of. If I were the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism I'd lock that place up and harvest larger and larger diamonds until I never needed funding again.
Whatever the reason, Arkansas's crater of magic is open to the public. Little Rock may be in Arkansas but there are no little rocks here. So if you feel like taking up amateur diamond mining, need to get your first diamond for your girlfriend, or just feel like getting rich finding large diamonds the size of a piece of glass on the top of the ground, Crater of Diamonds State Park is probably the spot for you.
This article was originally published in 2019.
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