This
American park is COVERED in diamonds, and park policy is "Finders
Keepers"
Tatiana Danger
01 May, 2014
Not too many people know about the goldmine of diamonds in
Murfreesboro, Arkansas. Since February there have been five diamonds weighing
over a carat found at Crater of
Diamonds State Park.
And just two weeks ago, David Anderson, an intrepid diamond
hunter, discovered a 6.19-carat white diamond after searching for four hours.
It's the 15th largest diamond to have been found at the park since 1972.
Anderson has found hundreds of diamonds at the park over the years, but this
latest find blows them all away. The diamond was discovered in the East Drain
area of the search field. It's a "clear, white marquise-shape
diamond." He's named the diamond "Limitless Diamond" and will
donate the proceeds of its sale to the charity "Speed the Light."
According to a park spokesman:
"It's no surprise that a large diamond was found this week.
Over four inches of rain fell on the park last weekend, and David found his
diamond on the first sunny day following the rain. Rainwater washes soil from
the search area and often exposes heavy gravel and diamonds on the
surface." He emphasized, "David has worked hard to find more than 400
diamonds here over the years, but he had never surface searched for diamonds
until this year. This is the largest, and probably the easiest, diamond he's
ever found!"
On average TWO DIAMONDS A DAY are found at the park. Brown,
Yellow, and White diamonds are the most popular. During hard rains more
diamonds find their way to the surface. So, basically, if you wanna find some
diamonds, now's the time to go. Conditions are just right for amateur
jewel-hunters.
Brandon Kalendra found a 2.89 carat triangular white diamond on
March 6th, while gem-hunting with his family. He was only looking for about 20
minutes before he discovered the jewel in the Fugitt's Bank part of the park.
The best news: The park has a "finders keepers" policy.
"Diamonds are a bit heavy for their size, and they lack static
electricity, so rainfall slides the dirt off diamonds that are on the surface
of the search field leaving them exposed. When the sun comes out, they'll shine
and be noticeable."
Three years ago an 8.66 carat white diamond was found by Beth
Gilbertson. A 12-year old North Carolina boy found a 5.16-carat honey-brown diamond at
the park just last August. Once polished, the rock would be worth between
$12,000 and $15,000. Then a 14-year old girl discovered a 3.85-carat canary diamond,
only a few months later.
There's 37 1/2 acres of plowed field that make up the world's
8th largest diamond-bearing deposit. This is also the world's ONLY
diamond-producing site that the public are invited to explore and keep their
findings. And it's not just diamonds, but it's also home to a variety of
precious gems like amethyst, agate, and quartz (among others).
In total, over 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed at Arkansas's
diamond site since the first diamonds found in 1906 by John Huddleston, the
farmer who at that time owned the land, long before the site became an Arkansas
state park in 1972. The largest diamond ever discovered in the United States
was unearthed here in 1924 during an early mining operation. Named the Uncle
Sam, this white diamond with a pink cast weighed 40.23 carats. Notable diamonds
found by park visitors since the state park was established at the site include
the Amarillo Starlight, a 16.37-carat white diamond discovered in 1975 which
ranks as the largest diamond ever found by a park visitor. The second largest
find by a park visitor is the Star of Shreveport, an 8.82-carat white gem
unearthed in 1981.
Another gem from the Crater is the flawless 4.25-carat Kahn Canary diamond that was discovered at the park in 1977. This uncut, triangular-shape gem has been on exhibit at many cities around the U.S. and overseas. It was featured in an illustrious jewelry exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1997 that included precious stones from throughout the world including the Kremlin collection, the Vatican, Cartier, and Christies. And, in late 1997, the Kahn Canary was featured in another prestigious exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in New York entitled "The Nature of Diamonds." Former First Lady Hillary Clinton borrowed the Kahn Canary from its owner, Stan Kahn of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and wore it in a special, Arkansas-inspired ring setting designed by Henry Dunay of New York as a special way to represent Arkansas's diamond site at the galas celebrating both of Bill Clinton's presidential inaugurals.
Another gem from the Crater is the flawless 4.25-carat Kahn Canary diamond that was discovered at the park in 1977. This uncut, triangular-shape gem has been on exhibit at many cities around the U.S. and overseas. It was featured in an illustrious jewelry exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1997 that included precious stones from throughout the world including the Kremlin collection, the Vatican, Cartier, and Christies. And, in late 1997, the Kahn Canary was featured in another prestigious exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in New York entitled "The Nature of Diamonds." Former First Lady Hillary Clinton borrowed the Kahn Canary from its owner, Stan Kahn of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and wore it in a special, Arkansas-inspired ring setting designed by Henry Dunay of New York as a special way to represent Arkansas's diamond site at the galas celebrating both of Bill Clinton's presidential inaugurals.
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