You’re probably thinking about a massive open-pit mine in Botswana or some high-tech operation in the Canadian tundra. But honestly, most people don't realize that a man digging for diamonds can just be a guy named Kevin from Ohio with a bucket and a shovel. It sounds like a scam or a fever dream. It isn't.
There is a 37.5-acre plowed field in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, called Crater of Diamonds State Park. It is the only place in the world where the public can hunt for diamonds and actually keep what they find. No catches. No "finders fees" for the government. Just you, the dirt, and a lot of sweat.
People think you need a PhD in geology to spot a raw diamond. You don’t. In fact, experts will tell you that the most successful hunters are the ones who stop looking for "sparkle." Raw diamonds don't look like the ones in an engagement ring. They look like oily pieces of glass or smooth, rounded pebbles. They have a greasy luster. If you see something that looks like a drop of water that won't dry up, you might be looking at a fortune.
The Reality of the Dig: It’s Not All Glitz
It’s muddy. If it rained recently—which is actually the best time to go—you are going to be ankle-deep in thick, gumbo soil. Most people show up with a small hand trowel. They quit after twenty minutes. The serious ones? They use a method called "surface searching" or they get down into the trenches for "deep digging."
Surface searching is exactly what it sounds like. You walk the rows after a hard rain. The water washes away the fine soil, leaving the heavier rocks and, hopefully, diamonds sitting right on top. This is how many of the largest finds happened. Take the Uncle Sam diamond, for example. It’s the largest diamond ever found in the U.S., weighing in at 40.23 carats. It wasn't found at the bottom of a hundred-foot hole. It was found on the surface back in 1924.
Then you have the "wet sifting" crowd. This is for the person who wants to be a man digging for diamonds with a bit more systematic intent. You dig up the soil, haul it to a washing station, and use a series of screens (called Saruca screens) to vibrate the gravel. Because diamonds are incredibly dense, they settle at the very bottom center of your screen. It’s a workout. Your back will hurt. Your hands will be stained red from the iron-rich soil.
Why Arkansas?
Geologically, the site is a volcanic pipe. About 95 million years ago, an 80-acre volcanic vent blew its top, bringing material from the Earth’s mantle to the surface. This material is called lamproite. Most of the pipe has eroded over millions of years, leaving behind a field of loose soil that is literally salted with gems.
It isn't just diamonds either. You’ll find jasper, agate, quartz, and amethyst. But the diamonds are the prize. They come in three colors here: white, brown, and yellow. The yellow ones are particularly famous. In 2020, a visitor named Kevin Kinard found a 9.07-carat brandy-colored diamond. He actually thought it was glass at first. He almost didn't take it to the diamond discovery center to get it weighed. That’s the trick—everything looks like trash until a pro tells you otherwise.
The Economics of the Amateur Searcher
Is it a viable business? Probably not. If you calculate your hourly wage based on the average find, you’d be better off flipping burgers. But for the man digging for diamonds, it’s not really about the hourly rate. It’s about the "lottery" aspect.
Over 35,000 diamonds have been found by visitors since the park opened in 1972. On average, one or two diamonds are found every single day. Most are the size of a matchhead, maybe 0.10 or 0.20 carats. But every few months, someone hits a "heavy."
Look at the Strawn-Wagner Diamond. Found in 1990 by Shirley Strawn, it weighed 3.03 carats in the rough. After it was cut, it was graded a "Perfect" 0/0/0 by the American Gem Society—the highest grade a diamond can get. It was the first time in history that a diamond that perfect had been graded. It now sits in a museum.
The Gear You Actually Need
If you’re going to do this, don’t buy a "diamond hunting kit" online. It’s overkill.
- A sturdy shovel. Not a plastic beach toy. A real steel spade.
- Buckets. Five-gallon hardware store buckets work best.
- A screen set. You want a 1/8 inch mesh and a 1/16 inch mesh.
- Knee pads. Seriously. You’ll thank me later.
- A small glass vial. Don't put a diamond in your pocket. You will lose it.
Common Misconceptions About Diamond Hunting
A lot of people think you can use a metal detector. You can't. Diamonds aren't metal. A metal detector will just beep at every rusty nail and discarded soda tab in the field.
Others think they can "see" the diamonds glowing at night. That’s a myth. While some diamonds fluoresce under UV light, the vast majority of the stones in the Arkansas soil don't react that way. You need sunlight. High-noon sun is actually the enemy because of the glare. The best light is early morning or late afternoon when the "side-lighting" makes the unique luster of a diamond pop against the duller rocks.
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Experts like Waymon Cox, who worked at the park for years, often tell people to look for "roundness." Most rocks in the field are jagged or broken. Diamonds have a distinct crystalline structure. They often look like two pyramids joined at the base, or they are rounded like a bit of hard candy. If it looks like it was tumbled in a machine for a year, pick it up.
The Ethics and Rules of the Find
You have to be careful about where you dig. Most public land is off-limits for mineral collection. You can't just go to a random creek in North Carolina (another diamond-bearing state) and start excavating without permission. At the Crater of Diamonds, you pay a small entrance fee—usually around $10 to $15—and that grants you the right to everything you find.
There is a weird culture among the "regulars" there. Some people spend months out of the year in Murfreesboro. They have specialized "shakers" and deep-digging permits. They study the drainage patterns of the field like it's a science. They know that after a big storm, the "East Drain" is the place to be.
But even with all that knowledge, it's often the first-timer who walks away with the 2-carat stone. That's the beauty of it. It's a "man digging for diamonds" against the odds of nature.
How to Actually Find a Diamond: Actionable Steps
If you’re serious about making a trip to try this out, don’t just wing it. Follow these steps to maximize your chances:
- Check the Weather: Plan your visit for the day after a heavy rain. The park staff plows the field regularly to bring new dirt to the surface, and the rain "washes" it for you.
- Focus on the Low Spots: Look for areas where heavy gravel accumulates. Diamonds are heavy. They settle where other heavy things settle.
- Don't Clean Your Finds on the Field: If you see something interesting, put it in your vial. Don't scrub it with your thumb; you might scratch other minerals or drop the stone. Wash it later in a controlled environment.
- Get Your Finds Identified: Always go to the Diamond Discovery Center before you leave. They provide free identification and weighing. Many people have walked out with a "neat rock" in their pocket that turned out to be a $5,000 gem.
- Look for the "Luster": Train your eyes to look for a metallic or greasy shine. If it looks like a piece of salt or a drop of oil, it's worth a second look.