Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

20,000th Diamond Found In State Park

On July 16, Richard Cooper of Lockesbuarg discovered the 20,000th diamond found by a park visitor since Arkansas's Crater of Diamonds State Park was established in 1972, according to Park Superintendent Michael Hall.

Crater of Diamonds is one of Arkansas's 49 state parks operated by the State Parks Division, Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.

Hall said, "Mr. Cooper visits Crater of Diamonds on a regular basis. He was thrilled to learn that he had unearthed this milestone discovery at the park."

Hall noted that Cooper was surprised to learn that so many diamonds had been discovered and carried home by lucky park visitors. The park's diamond searching area is a 36-acre plowed field, the eroded surface of an ancient, gem-bearing volcanic pipe.

Hall continued, "Mr. Cooper's diamond is light yellow in color, shaped like a small icicle and weighs about one-third of a carat." He said that Cooper plans to keep this gem because of its special significance.

Park officials noted that Cooper's gem was one of five diamonds discovered by visitors at Crater of Diamonds that day. The gem was unearthed at the southeast edge of the park's 36-acre diamond searching field.

This particular area is an expansion of the diamond field that was just opened on Memorial Day weekend. This expanded area is the lowest point on the field.

Park officials suspect that over time diamonds have naturally washed into this partiacular area and settled there. Cooper captured the diamond in his saruca-style screen and discovered it while washing the material within it. His gem was the 527th diamond found at the park this year.

To celebrate Cooper's find, Hall presented him with an engraved plaque and certificate noting the diamond find, and complimentary lodging at Arkansas's DeGray Lake Resort State Park.

According to Michael Hall, "Luck plays the largest part in diamond finds at Crater of Diamonds. Mr. Cooper's luck, however, may have been helped by heavy rains at the park the week before." He noted that diamond finds usually increase after a rainfall.

Diamonds in the rough are surrounded by an oily skin to which soil will not adhere. Because of this, rain water always helps to uncover the diamonds.

In addition, the park staff recently completed a plowing operation at the search area to enhance the diamond-finding abilities of park visitors. This regular plowing barings up new soil to the surface of the search area from a depth of two feet. Hall predicts that regular diamond finds will continue at the park.

Crater of Diamonds is the state's well-known diamond site located in southwest Arkansas at Murfreesboro. It is the world's only publicly- operated diamond site where the public is allowed to search and keep any gems found, regardless of value.

Diamonds were first discovered at the site in 1906 by John Huddleston, the farmer, who, at that time, owned the site. Through the years, the site changed in ownership several times until it was purchased by the state of Arkansas and opened as a state park in 1972.

Over 70,000 diamonds have been unearthed at the crater since those first found by Huddleston. The largest diamond ever discovered in North America was unearthed here in 1924. Named the Uncle Sam, this white diamond weighed 40.23 carats. Other notable finds from the crater include the Star of Murfreesboro, 34.25 Carats, and the Star of Arkansas, 15.33 carats.

The largest diamond of the 20,000 discovered since the crater became a state park in 1972 is the 16.37 carat Amarillo Starlight.

This white diamond was found on the surface of the diamond field by a visitor from Texas in 1975. In June 1981, the 8.82 carat Star of Shreveport was added to the growing list of large valuable stones found at the crater.

Another of the many impressive diamonds from the carter is the 4.25 carat Kahn Canary diamond. The flawless yellow, triangular pillow shaped diamond was discovered by a local logger in 1977.

The Kahn Canary was worn in a specially designed ring by First Lady Hillary Clinton during the Presidential Inaugural festivities in Washington. The ring was loaned to Mrs. Clinton by its owner, gemologist Stan Kahn of Kahn's Jewelry in Pine Bluff.

Kahn previously loaned the gem to Mrs. Clinton for two of her husband's inaugurations as Governor of Arkansas. At those events, she wore it in a necklace and in a different ring setting.

Diamonds may be any of several colors. The most common colors found at Crater of Diamonds are clear white, yellow and brown.

Other semi-precious gems and minerals found here include amethyst, garnet, peridot, jasper, agate, calcite, barite and quartz. Over 40 different rocks and minerals unearthed at the crater make it a rockhound's delight.

Park visitors occasionally find diamonds on the surface of the field. The majoritly of diamonds discovered at the crater, however, are found by digging or screening the soil and washing the remaining gravel. For easy accessibility to park visitors, there is a sluice box and two covered, processing pavilions with water located on the diamond field.

The interpreters at Crater of Diamonds State Park offer programs covering a variety of subjects, including diamond mining methods, tips on diamond hunting, geology, nature and the history of the site.

Visitors enter the diamond searching field through the park visitor center that includes a gift shop, exhibits and an audiovisual program explaining the area's geology and tips on recognizing diamonds in the rough. Digging tools are available for rent, and the park staff provides free identification and certification of diamonds.