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Crater of Diamonds State Park

Coordinates: 34°1′59″N 93°40′13″W / 34.03306°N 93.67028°W / 34.03306; -93.67028
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Crater of Diamonds State Park
Digging for diamonds, 2007
Map showing the location of Crater of Diamonds State Park
Map showing the location of Crater of Diamonds State Park
Location of Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas
Map showing the location of Crater of Diamonds State Park
Map showing the location of Crater of Diamonds State Park
Crater of Diamonds State Park (the United States)
LocationMurfreesboro, Pike County, Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, United States
Coordinates34°1′59″N 93°40′13″W / 34.03306°N 93.67028°W / 34.03306; -93.67028
Area911 acres (369 ha)[1]
Established1972[1]
Named forDiamond mine
Governing bodyArkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
WebsiteCrater of Diamonds State Park

Crater of Diamonds State Park is a 911-acre (369 ha) Arkansas state park in Pike County, Arkansas, in the United States. The park has a 37.5-acre (15.2-hectare) plowed field which is one of the few diamond-bearing sites accessible to the public. Diamonds have been discovered in the field continuously since 1906, including the graded-perfect Strawn-Wagner Diamond, found in 1990, and the Uncle Sam, found in 1924, which at over 40 carats is the largest diamond ever found in the United States.

The site became a state park in 1972 when the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism purchased the site from private owners in Dallas, Texas, which had operated the site as a tourist attraction.[1]

History

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A supplement to the Nashville News of nearby Nashville, Arkansas, advertising diamonds mining in the early 1900s

In 1889, Arkansas state geologist John Branner investigated the site of an 1842 report noting an igneous intrusion amidst sedimentary rock near Murfreesboro. He determined it was a kimberlite, but without the associated diamonds. In early 1906 John Wesley Huddleston purchased the area, looking for gold. Instead, in August, he found two diamonds, 3- and 4.5-carats, as identified by George Frederick Kunz. Visiting the site with Henry Stephens Washington, Kunz noted of the 140 diamonds collected from the surface, "They are absolutely perfect and are equal to the finest stones [of Africa] or that were ever found in India...[E]conomical extraction [should be entirely] successful." The Arkansas Diamond Company was formed, headed by the Little Rock banker Samuel Reyburn, and Huddleston sold out for $36,000. Kunz and Washington prepared a mining plan for the 73 acre orebody, and initially 1400 diamonds were found in the regolith. Soon ten thousand prospectors started search the outlying area for diamonds, and for fifty cents a day, they could keep any diamonds found on the neighboring Mauney's property. The Mauneys also sold lots for the town of Kimberly, which soon contained stores, restaurants, and a hotel. In 1908, the Arkansas Diamond Company hired John Fuller, a former De Beers engineer. Yet money was wasted, and the thousands of diamonds mined were mainly less than half a carat, and the few large ones were industrial grade. In 1912, the mine closed, after running out of Financial capital. Only a watchman and assistants continued looking for diamonds[2]

In 1912, Austin Q. Millar and his son Howard Millar, rented and bought surrounding Murfreesboro properties, including the Mauney place, and established an ore processing system. For the next seven years, they mined thousands of modest stones. On 13 January 1919, the operation ended after arson burned the entire operation.[2]

In 1919, the Arkansas Diamond Company reorganized, and hire Stanley Zimmerman, another engineer. However, he condemned the mine, and the company failed a second time. The 3000 gem-quality diamonds that had been stockpiled were acquired by mortgage holder J.P. Morgan & Co. vice president Tom Cochran. The collection included the 40.23 carat Uncle Sam.[2]

In the 1920s, the Arkansas Diamond Company was able to restart with a small operation in which some diamonds were recovered before operations ended in 1932.[2]

In 1941, Charles Wilkinson bought the property. During WWII, Wilkinson sent Arkansas Governor Homer Martin Adkins, Senator Hattie Caraway, and the head of Schenck & Van Haelen jewelers, to convince President Franklin Roosevelt to reopen the pipe, since the country was in need of industrial diamonds. The United States Bureau of Mines excavated 435 tons from the first 50 feet, but by 1944, had found only 32 diamonds, averaging a quarter-carat each. With the war over, the mine closed.[2]: 134 

In 1951 The Diamond Preserve opened as a diamond mining attraction, followed the next year by Millar's Crater of Diamonds. In 1956, Winifred Parker found the 15.36-carat white Star of Arkansas. In 1957, Ruth McRae found the 3.11-carat white Eisenhower Diamond. In 1969, Millar sold his property to General Earth Minerals. In 1971, the Arkansas State Parks, Recreation, and Travel Commission voted to acquire the property for a state park. [3]

Geology

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The Early Cretaceous Prairie Creek Diatreme outcrops include magmatic lamproite, pyroclastic lamproite where diamonds are recovered, and maar epiclastics. According to Howard and Hanson, "Lamproites form from partially melted mantle at depths exceeding 93 miles. The rising material is forced to the surface in volcanic pipes, bringing with it xenoliths and xenocryst diamonds from the harzburgitic peridotite or eclogite mantle regions where diamond formation is stabilized. In the instance of the Arkansas lamproites, the diamonds are of eclogite host origin."[4]

In 2002, research by geologist Dennis Dunn (Ph.D. dissertation 2002) found that the diamondiferous epiclastic rocks range from olivine lamproite to phlogopite and olivine-rich tuffs. The chemistry of the mantle xenolith was used to derive maximum pressures of around 5 GPa and temperatures of 1000 °C for the upper mantle origin of the lamproitic magma.[5]

Recreation

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Pool at Crater of Diamonds State Park

Crater of Diamonds State Park is known for the 37.5-acre (15.2 ha) plowed field on which visitors can hunt for diamonds and other semi-precious gems. On average, two diamonds are found per day by park visitors.[6] A visitor center contains information about the geology of the park, a gift shop, and a cafe. Interested visitors can continue to the Diamond Discovery Center, which offers an interpretive look at prospecting for diamonds. The Diamond Springs aquatic playground, enclosed pavilion, trails, and picnic areas surround the diamond field.[7] The park offers campers facilities near the Little Missouri River.[6]

Diamond mine

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Crater of Diamonds State Park is situated over an eroded lamproite volcanic pipe. The park is open to the public and, for a small fee, rockhounds and visitors can dig for diamonds and other gemstones. Park visitors find more than 600 diamonds each year of all colors and grades.[8][9] As of 2015, over 75,000 diamonds had been found in the crater.[9] Visitors may keep any gemstone they find regardless of its value.[8]

In addition to diamonds, visitors may find semi-precious gems such as amethyst, agate, and jasper or approximately 40 other minerals such as garnet, phlogopite, quartz, baryte, and calcite.

Notable diamonds found

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Year Diamond Name Image Weight (carat) Weight (gram) Color Finder Notes
1917 Canary 17.86 3.572 canary yellow Lee J. Wagner of the Arkansas Diamond Company Donated in 1926 to the National Museum of Natural History by the heirs of Washington Roebling[10][11][12]
1924 Uncle Sam 40.23 8.046 Wesley Oley Basham Largest diamond ever discovered in the United States; as of 2022 in the collection of the Smithsonian[13][9][10]
1956 Star of Arkansas 15.33 3.066 Winifred Parker[14]
1964 Star of Murfreesboro 34.25 6.850 John Pollock Largest diamond ever found by a tourist in the Arkansas area; it was valued at $15,000 in 1964.[9]
1975 Amarillo Starlight 16.37 3.274 W. W. Johnson Cut into a 7.54 carats (1.508 g) marquise.[13][9]
1977 Kahn Canary 4.25 0.850 canary yellow George Stepp Uncut and naturally flawless. Set by Dunay into a ring for Hillary Clinton for a 1993 inaugural ball[15][16]
1981 Star of Shreveport 8.82 1.764 Carroll Blankenship
1990 Strawn-Wagner Diamond 3.09 0.618 white Shirley Strawn Found by a local resident, graded perfect.[17] In the collection of the park.[18]
2015 Esperanza Diamond 8.52 1.704 Type IIa, D IF Bobbie Oskarson Flawless or near flawless. Cut and polished in Arkansas by Mike Botha[19][20][21] After cutting and polishing it was to be set by Erica Courtney then auctioned by Heritage Auctions.[22]
2024 Carine Diamond 7.46 1.492 Chocolate Julien Navas Chocolate-colored. Eighth-largest diamond found in the United States. Found by Julien Navas for a wedding ring for his fiancée Carine Eizlini[23][24][25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Staff of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism (February 14, 2011). "Crater of Diamonds State Park". The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. The Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Krajick, Kevin (2001). Barren Lands: An Epic Search for Diamonds in the North American Arctic. New York: Times Books. pp. 121–126. ISBN 9780716740261.
  3. ^ "Crater of Diamonds State Park History". Arkansas State Parks. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  4. ^ Howard, J.M.; Hanson, W.D. (2008). "GEOLOGY OF THE CRATER OF DIAMONDS STATE PARK AND VICINITY, PIKE COUNTY, ARKANSAS, State Park Series 3" (PDF). Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  5. ^ Dunn, Dennis Patrick (December 2002). "Xenolith Mineralogy and Geology of the Prairie Creek Lamproite Province, Arkansas" (PDF). The University of Texas at Austin.
  6. ^ a b "Crater of Diamonds State Park" (PDF). Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 11, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  7. ^ "Crater of Diamonds State Park". Arkansas State Parks Guide, 2011. Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. p. 19. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  8. ^ a b Clift, Zoie (January 30, 2007). "Crater of Diamonds State Park Enjoying Spotlight". Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
  9. ^ a b c d e Edwards, Jay (August 5, 2019). "John Huddleston and his crater of diamonds". Daily Record. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Discovering the Uncle Sam | Arkansas State Parks". www.arkansasstateparks.com. July 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  11. ^ "Smithsonian's Great American Diamonds Exhibit". www.gia.edu. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  12. ^ "New Smithsonian Exhibit Showcases Extraordinary American Diamonds". Smithsonian Institution. June 8, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Crater of Diamonds State Park | Arkansas State Parks". www.arkansasstateparks.com. February 19, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  14. ^ "5th largest diamond unearthed after 20 minutes at Crater of Diamonds State Park". June 29, 2016.
  15. ^ "NEW FIRST LADY TO WEAR UNCUT DIAMOND AT INAUGURAL BALL". Deseret News. January 12, 1993. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  16. ^ "HOW COULD HE? HOW CAN SHE?". Chicago Tribune. February 15, 1998.
  17. ^ Hunt, Lena. "Digging Arkansas". Jetsetters Magazine. Archived from the original on March 10, 2009.
  18. ^ "Keep What You Find at the Crater of Diamonds Park". VOA. October 27, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  19. ^ KSLA Staff. "Large diamond found at Arkansas's Crater of Diamonds State Park". Archived from the original on June 28, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  20. ^ Haymes, Linda (September 27, 2015). "Master diamond cutter transforms gem found in state park". Arkansas Online. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  21. ^ "Longmont woman finds hefty gem at Arkansas park". June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  22. ^ De Almeida, Jacquie (August 26, 2015). "Canada's Embee Diamonds to cut 'Crater' diamond". Jewellery Business. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  23. ^ Sachs, Andrea (February 1, 2024). "French tourist unearths 7.46-carat diamond at Arkansas state park". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  24. ^ Southern, Keiran (January 25, 2024). "French tourist finds diamond in the rough at US state park". The Times. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  25. ^ Murray, Kelly (January 27, 2024). "Visitor finds huge 7.46-carat diamond in Crater of Diamonds State Park". CNN. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
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