Sunday and Monday
June 19 & 20, 2011
Crater of Diamonds State Park
Murfreesboro, Arkansas
As long as I was in the area, I decided to try and find some diamonds. The campground is very nice and I had a really good site and the end of a cul-de-sac. A crazy male cardinal was attacking my windows shortly after I parked and it tried to hang onto the screens on the side window and it came back when I was leaving.
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Cardinal
Monday evening
It was hot when I arrived Sunday afternoon, so I did not go out into the Diamond Fields right away. On Sunday evening I walked over to the visitor center. I wanted to go in the Diamond Discovery Center to watch the video and find out what this was all about. I found out that I needed a ticket to the fields in order to go to the center. I paid $7.00 and the ticket was good for Monday, also. After going to the Discovery Center, I decided to walk out to the fields. I didn't have any equipment with me. I just walked around picking up some small colored stones (Jasper). They say that some of the large diamonds were found by people just walking around looking at the ground. The best time to find diamonds if after it rains. The diamonds have an oily exterior and dirt and mud will not stick to diamonds. No rain here, it was very dry.
The park employees will identify everything that you pick up and you can keep anything that you find.
Monday morning I went to the fields at 8am when they opened, I didn't want to be out there in the heat of the midday sun. The day was overcast with a constant breeze, so it didn't feel as hot as previous days. I stayed in the fields for around 4 hours - part of the time under the shade of a tree. I took a camp stool with me and my folding camping shovel and I rented a screen from the park. You can also use a process of washing the dirt using 3 screens but I did not feel like playing in the mud. Equal amounts of diamonds are found using the dry method or the wet method.
2 nights in the campground = 56.00
2 days in the field = 7.00
A pocket full of colored stones = 0.00
A quiet and scenic campsite PRICELESS!
It was very meditative sitting outside and playing with the gravel, moving it around over and over to see if there is something hidden in the pile of dirt and gravel and rocks.
It was very meditative sitting outside and playing with the gravel, moving it around over and over to see if there is something hidden in the pile of dirt and gravel and rocks.
No diamonds for me, just a few crystals, a piece of Hematite and a lot of Jasper and some other stones and volcanic rock.
Sitting in the field - searching for a diamond - made me think of gambling. You pay a fee and hope to come out with a jackpot. Sitting outside and enjoying the scenery is much better that sitting in a casino anyday and the odds are probably the same.
The odds of coming away happy from an experience outdoors vs an experience in a casino must be better than average. Sounds like a great experience!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are enjoying your visit to Arkansas. I live in northwest Arkansas and have never made it to hunt for diamonds. One of these days I will get down there to hunt for diamonds. As to the heat, welcome to summer in Arkansas.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like an interesting experience. For $7, it's worth it. I would take an outdoor experience any day over a smokey old casino.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're really enjoying yourself. I think I might like that "digging in the dirt for diamonds" experience. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed my time there also, but my search was fruitless as well. :)
ReplyDeleteWe'll be back in Ashdown, AR tomorrow evening. Are you staying long in the area? We still need to head up to the diamond fields. Maybe we can find my engagement rock... lol
ReplyDeleteHow fun. I've certainly paid my fair share for "pretty" rocks of little value and had great times out in nature looking for more. Yet finding a diamond would have been Awesome.
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