Extinct Volcano in Arkansas Is Public Diamond Mine

Friday, August 22, 2025

In southwest Arkansas, the state government runs what might be the world's most unusual diamond mine. For the price of a movie ticket, anyone can dig for diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park -- and keep whatever they find.

Posted by lamplighter at 03:31 PM | 3 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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-- Ars Technica (@arstechnica.com) Aug 19, 2025 at 7:06 AM

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More from the article ...

... The 37-acre search field near Murfreesboro sits atop an ancient volcanic pipe that erupted roughly 100 million years ago. That eruption brought diamonds that formed deep within the Earth's mantle to the surface, where they now wait in the soil for anyone with a garden trowel and patience. ...

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-08-19 04:06 PM | Reply

There was a fascinating episode of Frontline, years ago, about the DeBeers Co. Turns out they told the US that, if we ever try to actually mine those diamonds, they would cut us off from supplying industrial diamonds.
As if I needed any further discouragement from buying diamonds, this pushed it over the edge.

#2 | Posted by morris at 2025-08-19 04:56 PM | Reply

All rhe rest are stolen from. Africa.

#3 | Posted by fresno500 at 2025-08-19 08:01 PM | Reply