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Did you know that in the United States there is a diamond mine. The world's only diamond site where you can search and keep what you find.

Arkansas, The Natural State, is blessed with an abundance of geological wonders. The Crater of Diamonds State Park, the only diamond-producing site in the world open to the public, stands out as a unique geological "gem" for you and your family to explore and enjoy.

Here, you are invited to prospect in the park's diamond search area, a 37-acre plowed field that is the eroded surface of an ancient volcanic pipe that 95 million years ago, brought to the surface the diamonds and some of the semi-precious stones lucky visitors find here today.

Diamonds of all colors of the rainbow can be found here at Crater of Diamonds, but the three most common colors unearthed by park visitors are white, brown and yellow. This Arkansas Diamond Mine is a rockhound's delight since, along with diamonds, over 40 types of rocks and minerals can found here, too. These rocks and minerals include lamproite, amethyst, banded agate, jasper, peridot, garnet, quartz, calcite, barite and hematite.

In 1906, John Huddleston, the local farmer who owned this property then, found the first diamonds here in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, and started the diamond mining rush. According to the history of the Crater of Diamonds State Park, after a series of ill-fated mining ventures followed by tourist attractions, the site became an Arkansas state park in 1972.

Within the park boundary many remnants of old mining ventures remain including the Mine Shaft Building, the Guard House, mining plant foundations, old mining equipment and smaller artifacts. Nowhere else is North American diamond mining history as evident or as well preserved as here.

Along with the diamond search area, the park has hundreds of acres of natural forest featuring a diversity of flora and fauna and offering visitors interesting things to do in the area. Arkansas' natural and cultural diversity -- the geology, the site's history, the plants and animals -- makes the Crater of Diamonds State Park a unique Arkansas attraction unlike any other in the world. And, the policy here is "finders keepers." Any diamonds, semi-precious stones, rocks or minerals you unearth are yours to keep, regardless of their value.

Great Finds from the Famous Crater

Although thousands of people have dug and sifted through the volcanic "kimberlite" soil, there are still plenty of diamonds waiting to be discovered. Since the park opened in 1972, more than 19,000 diamonds have been found, many of which are of gemstone quality. Tom Stolarz, the park's superintendent, says about two diamonds are found by visitors to the park each day. "Most of them are about the size of a match head or smaller, and people usually keep them for souvenirs," he adds.

Not all of the finds have been small. The largest documented diamond find is the 40.23-carat "Uncle Sam" diamond, which was discovered in 1924. The largest diamond found since the Crater of Diamonds became a state park was the 16.37-carat "Amarillo Starlight," discovered in 1975.

Other notable finds include the "Star of Murfreesboro," which weighed 34.25 carats; the "Star of Arkansas," which was 15.33 carats and the 8.82-carat "Star of Shreveport." The 4.25-carat "Kahn Canary" diamond was found here in 1977 and was worn by Hillary Clinton during the presidential inaugural balls as well as for two gubernatorial inaugurations. The 3.03-carat "Strawn-Wagner Diamond," found in 1990 was cut to a 1.09-carat gem graded D-flawless 0/0/0 (the highest grade a diamond can achieve) by the American Gem Society.

Geologists believe these diamonds were formed millions of years ago and shot to the earth's surface during a violent volcanic eruption. The portion of the crater that is known to be diamond bearing is about 35 acres and is the eroded surface of an ancient volcanic pipe. Test drilling at the crater has shown that the reserve is shaped like a martini glass; it is believed to be the eighth largest diamond reserve in the world.