of about 150k sqm which is the eroded surface of an old volcano, the eighth largest diamond deposit in the world in terms of surface area. It's the only diamonds mining site open to the public.
and there is good news, the finder who dig for diamonds can keep the little precious thing. At the park office they even do free identification and certification of diamonds. There are also some tips how to recognizing diamonds in the field.
was the "Uncle Sam" stone with 40.23 carat was discovered in 1924. The biggest stone found since the area became a state park was the "Amarillo Starlight" with 16.37 carat discovered in 1975.
The first known diamond was found here in1906,
the small transparent stones
reached the surface probably via a volcanic eruption millions of years
ago. Now the place became somehow an adventure destination with
something really to find, the area around is a great countryside with
campgrounds, shops, restaurants and more. The mining adventure is paid
per day and there are several possibility, either you just walk over
ploughed ground and have a focused look, but you are not an eagle,
means better to rent the tools for digging or just bring your own.
The park is closed at Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day. |