Who has been to Arkansas to hunt diamonds?

[bigtim1973]

Have always wanted to do this but I have not as of yet. Has anyone here on T'net looked for diamonds in Arkansas at that park and how did you do? Would love to hear, Tim

 

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[Tigger]

This month's (April) Rock & Gem magazine has an article on "fastest" diamond finds at the park. The author's last paragraph states that of the hundreds he's found there over the years, most have taken lots of hard work, but there are those who find one in 15 min. just sitting on the ground.
he gives the park website if you haven't been there yet:
www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com

 

[Rumblebelly]

bigtim,

MY wife and I had a really good time there a few years back. We were there for a day and a half. No Diamonds for us, but 9 were found while we were there. There is a lot of red and yellow jasper laying around. There is a type of a green sand stone that if left out in the rain turned to dust by me. There is some conglomerate rock that is not as common, but available. I believe you're allowed to take up to a 5 gallon bucket of material out with you per day per person. So if you go bring the bucket. I keep meaning to take and post pictures, but never have. I did get a lot of jasper with very nice coloring. Looking back I would have taken some dirt to play with too. Some calcite & quartz pieces we got too. My back hurt for a few days after ward, it was hard work, but a lot of fun. We'd do it again, possible this year. Hopefully during the rain or right after. We went in July and as you would expect, it was hot. We did not make reservations by the park and in the middle of the night we searched for a few hours for a hotel with vacancy all over the area. Great times. So get out there and get dirty. I'll try to post pics.

happy hunting,
Rumblebelly

 

[mamabear]

we had no luck at the diamond mine, tho it was a learning experience. the "museum" is great & makes you wanna get out there & find the big one. It was fun, but unproductive. now the coleman crystal mines is another story. lots of fun, lots of crystals, big & small, & lots of ruined gloves. best luck was at the ron coleman mine. & you can camp right there, tho I prefer the hotel in Hot springs village. not hot springs, but HS village. it's clean, & close to the mine.

 

[vibes]

I was there twice in 2010 and during my 2nd trip I found 2 diamonds I had SO much fun! If you go, ask where Charlie is set-up....then tell him I sent ya! he's a legendary diamond miner!!

 

[bigtim1973]

Thanks for the response guys!!! Been wondering how it has been. I have read several articles about it over the past few months.

bigtim,

MY wife and I had a really good time there a few years back. We were there for a day and a half. No Diamonds for us, but 9 were found while we were there. There is a lot of red and yellow jasper laying around. There is a type of a green sand stone that if left out in the rain turned to dust by me. There is some conglomerate rock that is not as common, but available. I believe you're allowed to take up to a 5 gallon bucket of material out with you per day per person. So if you go bring the bucket. I keep meaning to take and post pictures, but never have. I did get a lot of jasper with very nice coloring. Looking back I would have taken some dirt to play with too. Some calcite & quartz pieces we got too. My back hurt for a few days after ward, it was hard work, but a lot of fun. We'd do it again, possible this year. Hopefully during the rain or right after. We went in July and as you would expect, it was hot. We did not make reservations by the park and in the middle of the night we searched for a few hours for a hotel with vacancy all over the area. Great times. So get out there and get dirty. I'll try to post pics.

happy hunting,
Rumblebelly

Yes please by all means post some pics. I would love to see the pics of the jasper.

we had no luck at the diamond mine, tho it was a learning experience. the "museum" is great & makes you wanna get out there & find the big one. It was fun, but unproductive. now the coleman crystal mines is another story. lots of fun, lots of crystals, big & small, & lots of ruined gloves. best luck was at the ron coleman mine. & you can camp right there, tho I prefer the hotel in Hot springs village. not hot springs, but HS village. it's clean, & close to the mine.

WHat is the ron coleman mine? I have never heard of it before. Is it in Ark. also? What is there to be found?

 

[mamabear]

the Ron Coleman crystal mine. it's outside of hot springs village, ark. he also has a web site you should look up. I have never walked away from there disappointed. actually I have always been thrilled with the crystals found. there are 2 Coleman mines but the one I like is Ron's. hope you make it to his place, it's well worth the visit. just wear clothes that can be ruined cuz the red clay the crystals are in does not come out of your clothes. & bring at least 1 pair of heavy duty leather gloves, cuz the crystals shred your fingers. (of course that never stopped me) chisel & rock hammer & a wagon or some such device for carrying the big specimens. (I have had to carry them out on my shoulder & it hurts) good luck with the diamonds, I hope you find a big one. & post the pix, am anxious to see how ya did

 

[diggerodell]

During the first week in this May, I made my fourth trip to the diamond mine. This time, unlike my other trips, I had my son and his family with me. We camped out for a week at the Crater of Diamonds campsite. While we didn't find any diamonds, we had a blast! I've hunted several days each time I visited the mine. Since I live over 600 miles from the mine, I had to make the visit count. If you go to the mine and seriously want to find diamonds, be prepared to work hard and smart. I'm still working on the "smart" part. You need a shovel, screens, and a hand digger of some kind. And you need a probe. You find an area where water has ran and left a channel. You need to probe this channel to find the sound of gravel 2 or 3 feet down. Then you have to dig down there. Once you get to the gravel you start filling your bucket. After four trips I am still learning and I am still hopeful that I will find diamonds. The 8.33 carat diamond was found while I was at the mine. I met the girl that found it. She had all the luck that day. When I learn to find diamonds I will be able to find many of them but they won't be as big. I've talked to the "Canary Hill" miners who hunt every day there. Some of them have found over a hundred diamonds. Most of the finds are 1/4 to as big as 2 carats. I have a rock tumbler so I console myself with pretty jasper and agate stones for the tumbler. There are no losers at the diamond mine. There is something for everyone.

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

We have been there - don't even know how many times anymore. Love it!!

We were very lucky the very first time we went there (years ago), to have met, and been personally taught, by James Archer. (all by accident).

He was a Crater of Diamonds legend - and a really, really, nice man. He showed us where to look to dig, how to dig, and, more importantly, how to use that rascally sarucca! Then, he taught us how to find a diamond - unfortunately, it was from one of his piles.

We did find 1 small diamond - but there have been diamonds found on every trip while we were there. One time, a lady found a diamond on her dog, when she got home.

Crater of Diamonds has soil that, if its damp or wet, and you walk through it, it sticks to you - and your feet get bigger, and bigger and heavier and heavier. This lady's dog was with her, and the dog got full of that mud. When she went home (she was local), she washed her dog in her bathtub, and, found a diamond when it fell off the dog - I guess she heard it, thought it was a stone, and didn't want it to go down the drain with the dog hair. She came back to the office, screeching - with her dog. It was neat.

According to James - and we always do it that way - you look for a spot where water runs off the field. Dig down - you will know when you are in the right area, because the stones get whitish (barite). Fill your bucket, go to water, put some in your sarucca, dip straight down into the water then, bounce, bounce, bouce, turn - bounce, bounce, bouce turn (after each set of bounces, you turn a quarter of a turn during the next bounce).

When everything is nice and clean, find a spot in the sun, and, in all one motion, turn it upside down and smack it down - then go do the next one. When you are all finished with your bucket, all your piles should be dry. You should be able to see the barite on top (formerly the bottom), and if there is something shiny, check it out. Diamonds never look dry, they look kind of greasy. James told us he slowly checks the very top, and then slowly spreads it out - he used to look like he was frosting a cake or spreading sauce on a pizza.

Just so you know, just across and up the road from there, there is another campground - they have found diamonds there, too.

Beth

 

[bookcliff]

All of you. Thanks for sharing.
Nick

 

[sharkriver100]

My 80 year old mom and dad went with me. We spent 2 days looking. I did the digging and mom did the washing while dad did the looking. It was mom that spotted the 41 pint white diamond. We had fun talking with folks from all over the country. We are planning to return this spring when there is a good warm weekend in late march or April. I guess plenty of folks don't find any thing. i guess we were lucky. You need to find a way to find high concentrations of gravel so has to not have too much dirt to process.