Search for Diamonds in Crater of Diamonds State Park
When visiting Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, there are three popular methods of searching for diamonds: Surface searching, dry sifting, and wet sifting. The more you know about each option, the more enjoyable your stay will be at the world's only public diamond mine!
Contents
Steps
Surface Searching
- Choose a small area to search in.
- Look closely on top of the soil for diamonds uncovered by rain or wind. Do not move anything until the surface of your spot has been surveyed.
- Search underneath rocks and dirt clods for diamonds.
Dry Sifting
- Select a spot on the search area that has loose, dry soil.
- Pour only two handfuls (or scoops) of dry dirt into your sifting screen at one time.
- Sift the dirt through your screen with a quick agitating motion over one spot.
- Spread out remaining gravel and search for a diamond!
Wet Sifting
- Dig a bucketful of dirt from the search area and carry it to one of the provided washing pavilions.
- Pour part of the dirt into a sifting screen, until soil mounds over its top.
- Sift all loose soil from your screen in water with a quick agitating motion.
- Remove all material larger than about one-quarter inch from your screen.
- Hold the frame of your screen on both sides around the center and lower it evenly into the water about one-half inch.
- Quickly rock your screen back-and-forth, until water washes small materials toward the center of your screen.
- Balance the screen on your fingertips, submerging it in water, and tap it up and down until the water spreads your material out into an even layer again.
- Turn your screen one-quarter turn.
- Repeat steps 6-8 for about one minute (eight or ten repetitions). Rock it, tap it, and turn it!
- Tap the screen one more time in the water to spread the materials out.
- Remove your screen from the water, and allow water to drain from your screen for a few seconds.
- Flip your screen upside-down in a smooth motion over a flat surface, landing it evenly (like turning a cake from a pan).
- Search the surface of your gravel pile for diamonds, especially focusing on the center!
Tips
- Dry sifting:
- This is another easy way to search for diamonds, if you want to use tools. All you need is a "box" sifting screen with small mesh (available for rent at the Park)!
- Sift your dirt over one area so you don't re-sift the same dirt again.
- Don't sift too much dirt at once. The more dirt you put into your screen, the more rocks you'll have left. You don't want to cover a diamond up with lots of other materials!
- On hot summer days, nothing is easier than dry sifting in a shady spot on the search area!
- Wet sifting:
- This method is the most involved, but most successful, way of searching for diamonds!
- A screen set (available for rent at the Park) works best for wet sifting. Two sifting screens of different-sized meshes (larger mesh on top of smaller mesh) work together to separate larger materials from smaller.
- Don't forget to inspect your larger materials for a larger diamond!
- Sifting in water on a hot summer day is a great way to stay cool, but may not be desirable in colder weather.
- Know about diamonds.
- Diamonds have an oily-type of surface and repel most everything that touches them. This means diamonds are usually loose in the soil and will very rarely be found inside of other rocks or minerals, or even dirt clods. They will be clean when you find them!
- On average, diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park are usually the size of a kitchen match head, or one-quarter of a carat in weight. The three most common colors found are white, brown, and yellow.
- The most noticeable feature of diamonds for most first-time finders is their distinctive metallic shine! Diamonds reflect 85% of the light that hits them, so they will be very shiny when found!
- Surface searching:
- If you don't have a lot of time to spend at the Park or need an easy way to search, try this method. All you need are your eyes!
- Don't try to search the entire diamond field in one day. By concentrating on a smaller area, you will be more likely to find a diamond.
- Don't worry about breaking rocks or dirt clods apart, as diamonds will rarely be inside anything else.
- Some of the largest diamonds ever found in the Park were found using this method!
- Bring it all together:
- Have a fun time! Working with everyone in your group can make for a more productive visit and will also make many memories for you and those with you.
- Focus on the right things. Many people leave Crater of Diamonds State Park disappointed that they don't find a diamond. Remember that diamonds are difficult to find. Crater of Diamonds is special not because you can find a diamond there, but because YOU can find a diamond there: It's the world's only public diamond mine!
- You can bring your own tools to search with. Any tool is permitted as long as it doesn't have wheels, run off a motor, or use batteries.
- Even if you don't find a diamond, Crater of Diamonds State Park is host to more than 40 different rocks and minerals, and you can take any that you like!
Warnings
- Diamond mining is hard work! Drink plenty of water while searching, especially during hot days. The search area is handicap accessible, but keep any physical limitations in mind when choosing which method of searching is best for you.
Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Screen (1/16" mesh works well)
- Bucket
- Magnifying glass
- Tweezers/pocket knife to help pick up possible diamonds
- Sunblock & hat
- Drinks & snacks
- Bag/vial to hold interesting rocks & minerals
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