The diamonds shaped below excessive stress and warmth deep within the Earth’s mantle. When you discover one, it should almost definitely appear to be a metallic or glassy pebble quite than a shiny minimize gem that you simply may image in your thoughts. The volcanic soil additionally incorporates amethyst, garnet, jasper, agate, and varied kinds of quartz (and you may maintain these, too).
The most important diamond present in the US got here from this area—the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam diamond, found in 1924 earlier than the land grew to become a state park. In September 2021, California customer Noreen Wredberg discovered a 4.38-carat yellow diamond after looking for two hours, and in 2024, a customer named Julien Navas discovered 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 have been white, 72 have been brown, and 74 have been yellow.
Park employees advised Mays that guests discover one or two diamonds every 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 one-carat diamond is roughly the scale of a inexperienced pea. However even tiny diamonds carry the fun of discovery. Park employees present free identification companies, analyzing finds below loupes and confirming whether or not that glassy pebble is quartz or one thing extra invaluable.
A Household Expertise
For these wanting to hitch the hundreds who go to every year, the park makes it reasonably priced. Admission prices $15 for adults, $7 for youngsters ages 6–12. You possibly can camp in a single day on the park and return to the sector at daybreak. Throughout summer season months, the park operates a small water park—an acknowledgment that diamond searching in Arkansas may be brutal, with a warmth index exceeding 110° Fahrenheit.
Generally rain turns the sector into mud, which skilled searchers desire as a result of it makes diamonds simpler to identify—however it might make for a messy journey. As Mays put it, “Most guests go away with a handful of attention-grabbing rocks, some newfound data, and an pressing want for a protracted bathe.”
When you don’t discover any diamonds on the park, don’t despair—you can nonetheless probably purchase a $200,000 diamond-making machine on Alibaba.
This story initially appeared on Ars Technica.
.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1 "Do Giant Language Fashions Dream of AI Brokers?")
