The World's Only Public Diamond Mine - Crater of Diamonds

So people have literally moved their lives here because of this place. They live in tents. They hunt diamonds. Some big old fat honker. I know they found well over 100 diamonds. They do say this diamond mine is capable of producing 100 carats plus. It could be a TV series. If you like this video be sure to subscribe so you can explore something new when we release more content. On average, people find one Since the mine's discovery, diamond here every day. over 33,000 diamonds have come out of this 37-acre field, including 7 of the 10 largest diamonds ever found in the United States. The best part? You can look for diamonds here. In fact, anyone can, because this is the world's only public diamond mine. In the southwest corner of Arkansas lies a true hidden gem. This is the only public diamond mine in the world. With some of history's largest diamonds being found here, a strong and devoted community of diamond hunters is formed. This is the Crater of Diamonds. We've all seen what happens when people compete for a limited resource. They go wild. And when it comes to something as valuable as diamonds. We've seen what people are willing to do. So as we entered the park, we wondered what happens when you mix this aspect of human nature with the world's flashiest material. But more importantly, what does it actually feel like to find something as valuable as a diamond? Some big old fat honker. While we did join the hunt, we first got a chance to talk with some locals and seasoned miners. All states have parks that have rivers, lakes, streams, mountains, whatever. Everybody has that. There's only one state that's got a diamond mine where you can keep it, and that's Arkansas. And that's because... Three billion years ago, long before plants and animals first appeared in the fossil record, diamonds were being forged. 100 miles down, in the upper mantle of the Earth's molten core, 2,000 degree magma and pressures 55,000 times greater than on Earth's surface are the crucible in which ordinary carbon atoms crystallize into precious gems. Under ordinary circumstances, the diamonds may remain here, trapped 13 times deeper than humans have ever drilled. However, in certain cases such as 95 million years ago, pressure within the mantle builds to a breaking point. Molten rock is forced through fissures in the Earth's crust, forming structures known as volcanic pipes, carrying diamonds to the surface. One case in particular occurred in what is now known as Murfreesboro, Arkansas. Here, these diamonds lay hidden as ice ages passed and nations were born, until 1906 when John Wesley Huddleston noticed the glint of two huge gems on the ground near his farmhouse. After realizing that his modest property was situated on top of a diamond honey hole, he sold the land for a handsome sum of $36,000. Today, that would be equal to around $1 million. The rush was on. Hotels in Murfreesboro had to turn away thousands of hopeful miners each month as they flooded into town seeking diamonds. The farm changed hands several times between commercial mining companies, which found varying degrees of success, until 1972. The state of Arkansas acquired the land for $6 million when accounting for inflation. It was now up to the public to do the digging. And they did. There are many places around the world where small diamonds can be found scattered sparsely in rivers and gravel beds where they have been unearthed by the elements. However, the most productive mines are located directly at the source, the volcanic pipes which brought them to the surface in the first place. The Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only place in the world where anyone and everyone can access one of these volcanic pipes for a nominal fee of $10. This unique situation has elevated Arkansas' diamonds onto the state flag and minted them onto the state quarter. They've even graced the hand of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she wore the Canary diamond during the 1994 presidential inauguration. The Crater of Diamonds lies secluded in the southwest corner of Arkansas, about halfway between Dallas and Memphis. It is frequented by vacationing families, diamond enthusiasts, and locals. Last year record-setting over 180,000 people came to the mine. It was a very busy year. How many diamonds have been found here? It averages more than one a day. And that's from just like regular everyday people? Correct. Those few who do find diamonds come from all walks of life. Young, old, first-timers, and experts. What matters most is the time spent sifting and searching, a hobby which attracts many people. What about the regulars? I mean, I would imagine you get quite the slew of characters. Ugh! Yes, sir. We see people all walks of life. I know that some people have had life-changing experience due to large diamond finds. Yeah, no, I can imagine. If they find diamonds, I'm... you know tens of thousands of dollars that's a that's a huge deal it could be a life change you know it's you know everybody says retirement you know i don't know about retirement you know your retirement depends on what your lifestyle yeah up here we got they live in tents they live in tents they hunt diamonds so that's still happening today yeah yeah we got people how far away it's just it's just a mile and they so they live do they live like off the grid You know, I won't say they make a living, but they live very, very minimal. You know, they live in a tent. Yeah. I don't even have a vehicle. If they're not here, they go to Arizona and look for gold. If they're not in Arizona, they'll go to the Carolinas and look for sapphires and stuff. So what kind of people? It's just rock hounds and people that love to search. Wow. Search for stones and precious gems. So people have literally moved their lives here because of this place. Sure. That's wild. Yeah, sure. And luckily we found just that person. Sit up here and watch me do it, but as far as putting the mic on me, no. Could we talk with you if we don't have the mic on you? Sure. Yeah, I'll just... I'll probably concentrate it down to one bucket. Really? Take it home with me. How many diamonds have you found wet sifting? That's interesting. Over 200. Over 200 diamonds? Yeah. Holy cow. It's just a hobby. You've got to be a rock hound to do that. So what do you do with your diamonds when you find them? Do you have like a little collection jar? You keep them all? Yeah. Do you have big plans for them? My retirement. Well, I mean, if you have 200 so far, you're on track to get something. Yeah, if I can do this another 20 years, then I'll have a pile of them. And so are there other people that are as into it as you are? Uh... At one time there was, but now there's not. So it's a dying breed, the rockhound? Yeah. Yeah, but most, I don't know if y'all boys are younger than me, but most young people nowadays don't want to get out here and do this hard work. Oh man. We want to sit in our chairs and play our games. Yeah, I know that for example, because I work with a bunch of young guys. Yeah? Yeah, they like to... Do this with that phone all day. They mine on Bejeweled and Candy Crush. That's how they get their fix. I'll help you move that. Oh, man. Yeah, these are heavy. Yeah, 20 of them every time I come down. Oh, boy. Hey, is this a diamond? Yeah. Found my diamond of the day. So what got you hooked? What kept you coming back? I seen them big ones they had, the flawless, Jim cut, you know. Do you have quality stones? Wow. That's what got me hooked. This is my gambling and this is my lottery ticket. I'm all coming down here. I consider myself just a regular. You've found diamonds though? I have. I've found seven so far. If you find a diamond, you're the first person to lay eyes on it. You discovered it. So that in itself is just an amazing feat. So whenever you're ready, I'll walk you through this. This is my diamond. This is my diamond. This is my diamond. This is my diamond. This is my diamond. This is my diamond. This is my diamond. This is my diamond. This is my diamond. This is my diamond. This is my diamond. This is my diamond. Despite there being a lot that goes into wet sifting, Debra gave us the full crash course. Well, first you're going to go out in the field and you want to find gravel. You want to put that right in the top screen. What you'll do is you'll stick this in the water. Now run your hands through here to clean out your top screen. Is this diamond? No, that's not. That's just lamp right. That's a volcanic rock. Now if a diamond is big enough to be in this screen, you're going to see it. You're having a good day. Yeah. Oh, you're having a very good day. A lot of the diamonds here are small, about the size of a matchstick head. That would be a quarter carat. Now we're going to go to the table, like flipping a cake out of a pan. All the heavy stuff went to the bottom of the screen, so now it's on top of your pile. If you have a diamond, it's going to be somewhere in here. It will shine so much that your eye is immediately usually drawn right to it. So you know. So you know. Right here is our diamond. You're going to scoop. And you're going to put it in the palm of your hand and close it up. You would take this straight to the Diamond Discovery Center where they will certify it for you. They'll tell you the size of it, the color, and they'll put it in a nice fancy box for you. Wow. In fact, he's got his diamonds to show you what they look like. Come on over. How many diamonds have you found? One, two, three, four, five, and six. Three, four, five, and six. Yeah, that's great. If you want to break it down into money, I'm deep in the hole as far as what I spent and what I got in diamonds, but it's worth it. Nobody has ever found a million dollar diamond, but they do say this diamond mine is capable of producing African-sized diamonds. And when I mean African-sized diamonds, I mean 100 carats plus. So you think people come here and mine for the money? Or are they mining for the diamonds? Some originally do. But then it's like going to a casino. You realize quickly this ain't a way to make a living. Yeah. So it is kind of like gambling. You know, you're spending your time and efforts and not necessarily... It's a lottery ticket with exercise. So you have some benefits, some health benefits. Yes, you do. It's not just that anyone can find diamonds here. Many of the diamonds found are record-setting. Like the Strawn Wagner Diamond, regarded as a one-in-a-billion stone. It is thought to be the most perfect and internally flawless diamond ever found. Or the 40-carat Uncle Sam Diamond, the largest ever found in the U.S. Or the Star of Murfreesboro, the Esperanza Diamond, the Okie Dokie Diamond, the Amarillo's Lamley Diamond. God's glory, the Star of Shrubber Bleeding Heart Diamond, the Limitless Hallelujah Diamond. So, we wanted to find one. Is that a diamond? Foggy glass looking thing? I believe it's a diamond. Some big old fat pond. Alright. 194 karat. It's like two pounds. What do we have? Bye. So we checked it with Bill. That could be quartz right there. The hardness is how you tell. Quartz has a hardness of 8. Of course diamonds are 10. Quartz has a hardness of 8. Barite and calcite has a hardness of 2.5 to 3. So I should carry this around cross analyze what I'm looking at versus this not diamond. During During summer, the busiest season of the park, temperatures can rise above 110 degrees. Add high humidity and diamond hunters can be caught in surprisingly dangerous conditions. Here last week, we carried 60 people off the mine. Sixty people that you had to take off. Sixty people that were overheated. Some of them we carried off in animals, a lot of them we just passed them down in the ice. They come out and they're not used to this humidity and they come out here and they get to looking. And all of a sudden they realize that they've worked too hard harder than what they thought it was and they can't get back. It's a dangerous sport, huh? Right. It could be. It could be. Could be. Wow. We spent the next few hours among the masses, searching for diamonds. While our efforts proved fruitless, one of our new friends let us validate their find. We think this might possibly be a diamond, we're going to verify it. So it's going to weigh out at, we're going to round that up to 58. So 58 points is... It takes a bunch of points to make a carat. Okay, so that's about half a carat? It's a little over half a carat. Okay. This starts at 09, and it goes all the way up. So almost 10 years of diamonds. Yes, in this one book. So as far as the state park, I mean, you guys don't take any cut or any responsibility for finding the diamonds, correct? It's all on the person that found it? Yes. They do whatever they want once they have that diamond. It's theirs. Diamonds are ranked on a scale that looks like this. The four C's. The more color a diamond has, the worse it scores. And as for clarity, the most valuable gems will have none of these. Cuts range from ideal to poor and rely on the craftsmanship of the gem cutter. And carat weight? Well, that's easy. Aside from the diamonds, what really makes this place are the people. And fortunately for us, we stumbled into a diamond mine frequenter named Tex. Finding the diamond is basically, it's luck. It's luck or it's fate. And that diamond is going to be where it wants you to find it. I don't have any luck, so what I try and do is beat the odds. I'll come out and do more gravel two days, and then I take a day off. And then I'll come back and do more gravel for two days, and then I'll take a weekend off. You can hold that diamond in your hand for the first time. There's this little adrenaline rush that just goes through you. And it's kind of been like a full-time job? Your new full-time job? No, it's not a job. This is the way I relax. This is a de-stressor for me. I didn't know what to do with myself. My wife passed away last year, and I needed something to do to keep myself occupied, you know, otherwise I'd be sitting in front of a TV or, I mean, you can only hunt and fish so much, you know, you got to have other things to do. So I come up here, like I said, a couple of times each year, and I'll spend a month, two months, and I'll dig for them now. So you're all about the chase, huh? Yeah, it's just the treasure hunter thing, you know, and it's not a matter of finding something big or, you know, finding a bunch of money or whatever. I mean, I've only got eight diamonds. My largest is only a 12 point, and I mean, that's tiny, you know, but every one of those eight is special to me, you know, because I found it. I found it. It's yours. You were the first person to lay your eyes on it. And then they said, well, how much would it be? I don't know what they're worth, and I wouldn't sell them one if I did. What is the community like that's built around this area? Actually, it's pretty tight. All right. My best buddy, really, we lost him out here this last year. He was out here at the mine, and he had a massive heart attack while he was... While he was hunting for diamonds? Yeah. He was hauling his buckets of dirt back up here and he had a massive heart attack, passed away out here at the mine. But the thing is that, I mean, Dennis had found, between Dennis and his wife, I know they found well over a hundred diamonds. If you gotta go, you better go doing something that you really like to do. Mm-hmm. Ain't no sense in it. You know, no sense laying around and going. What's your favorite part about mining here? The best part to me is the people up here. We all just want to have another one show up. And from what we could tell, that's what everyone was looking for. Around the world, things are beginning to look up for the diamond industry. De Beers, a mining and distribution company which controls nearly 40% of the world's diamond market, has formed mutually beneficial arrangements with countries where it operates. In Botswana, the government receives 50% of profits earned from the mines within its borders. This money has helped pay for schools, hospitals, and more. In countries like Angola and Sierra Leone, the introduction of the Kimberley process has led to a modest reduction in the flow of conflict diamonds. However, millions of dollars worth of uncertified stones still find their way into the market each year. Compared to other places around the world where the discovery of diamonds led to decades of bloodshed and destruction, things have been peaceful here in Arkansas. It's kind of like a family out there where you have people that get into little quarrels and then they'll break up and then they'll reunite. It could be a TV series. So what about you? Do you get out on your hands and knees and search around while you're not on duty? Not quite. Not quite. That's a lot of work. When I'm not working, I'm I don't think I'm going to be out there working. It's very labor intensive to be out there, but some people, they just love it. People come on all their vacations each year just to come here and search for diamonds. Not even find any, and they don't even care, they're just happy to be here. As a business model, the creator of diamonds State Park struck gold. Commercial diamond mining operations traditionally focus on using heavy machinery to extract as many diamonds from the land as quickly as possible. At the State Park, this approach proved infeasible due to the difficult terrain. Today, with 180,000 annual visitors each paying the $10 entry fee, the park generates over $1.8 million a year, not accounting for any revenue from equipment rentals. With the mine being depleted at a much slower rate than a typical mine, Crater of Diamonds is sure to be profitable for many years to come. While everyone at the park comes for the diamonds, it was clear that many leave with much more than precious gems. Whether it be the calming process, the hope of financial security, or the thrill of the hunt, there's something special that keeps bringing people back. 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