Diamonds are forever! Where's the diamond hides? As far as I know one of the biggest Diamond Mine in USA is found in State of Arkansas. Crater Diamond Park is the only public diamond mine in the world. This is open to the public to dig holes and look for diamond. Crater of Diamonds offers you a one-of-a-kind adventure - the opportunity to hunt for real diamonds and to keep any you find.
I was looking forward to go and see this place very soon. We planned last summer to have a family trip going to this park but we didn't made it. Something happened and all our trips were cancelled. Maybe, next year we will continue to catch up all our travel plans that we missed. For a little review about the "Crater Diamond". I will tell you the legend.
The Legend of "Diamond John"
Diamond mine – where diamonds are found Howard Millar, a former operator of a tourist operation at the Crater of Diamonds and an expert on the crater's history, wrote in his book, "It Was Finders-Keepers at America's Only Diamond Mine," that two
(Photo Facts )
geologists had studied the crater site several years before Huddleston found diamonds here. However, they didn't find any diamonds.
In 1906, Huddleston bought a farm on the site that the geologists had studied and on Aug. 8 of that year, he found two diamonds. According to Millar, Huddleston discovered the Arkansas diamonds while he was spreading rock salt on his hog farm. He saw some shiny specks in the dirt that he thought might be gold. But instead of gold, he found two stones.
Huddleston declined an offer from the local bank cashier, who said he would pay Huddleston 50 cents for the stones. Eventually, the stones were sent to a gem expert in New York City and it was determined that the stones were indeed Arkansas diamonds. One was a 3-carat white diamond and the other was a 1.5-carat yellow diamond.
Word soon got out about the diamonds and "Diamond John" Huddleston became famous. Thousands of people flocked to the little town of Murfreesboro, sparking a boomtown atmosphere. In one year, over 10,000 people were turned away from the Conway Hotel in Murfreesboro. Soon after his find, Huddleston sold his farm for $36,000 and this portion of the crater was closed to the public.
"Crater of Diamonds" is Born
M. M. Mauney owned another portion of the diamond mine, and he originated the idea of letting visitors pay to hunt for diamonds. Some diamond mining operations also began in the years after the discovery, but for many reasons, shrouded in mystery, lawsuits, fines, bankruptcy and other reasons, they were unsuccessful. Then, in 1952, Millar opened a tourist operation at the mine. He dubbed the site, the "Crater of Diamonds."
Millar promoted the site aggressively and received lots of national publicity. A museum, gift shop and restaurant were built and Millar, who was a geologist, gave lectures about the diamonds and also identified the visitors' finds. He received a 20 percent royalty on the value of any stone over 5 carats.
During those years, thousands of diamonds were found. The most famous find was made in 1956 by Mrs. A. L. Parker of Dallas. Millar wrote that Parker found the diamond after heavy rains had fallen on the freshly plowed field. The white diamond was 15.33 carats. It fueled "diamond fever" here again as the crater was "almost overrun with diamond hunters," Millar wrote.
In 1969, the crater was sold to a mining company and in 1972, and the state of Arkansas purchased it. The site was developed into an 888-acre park nestled in a mixed pine and hardwood forest along the banks of the Little Missouri River. There is a visitor's center, gift shop, picnic area, restaurant (summer only), a 1.3-mile trail and 60 campsites with water and electricity. Information credit to www.arkansas.com.
I was looking forward to go and see this place very soon. We planned last summer to have a family trip going to this park but we didn't made it. Something happened and all our trips were cancelled. Maybe, next year we will continue to catch up all our travel plans that we missed. For a little review about the "Crater Diamond". I will tell you the legend.
The Legend of "Diamond John"
Diamond mine – where diamonds are found Howard Millar, a former operator of a tourist operation at the Crater of Diamonds and an expert on the crater's history, wrote in his book, "It Was Finders-Keepers at America's Only Diamond Mine," that two
(Photo Facts )geologists had studied the crater site several years before Huddleston found diamonds here. However, they didn't find any diamonds.
In 1906, Huddleston bought a farm on the site that the geologists had studied and on Aug. 8 of that year, he found two diamonds. According to Millar, Huddleston discovered the Arkansas diamonds while he was spreading rock salt on his hog farm. He saw some shiny specks in the dirt that he thought might be gold. But instead of gold, he found two stones.
Huddleston declined an offer from the local bank cashier, who said he would pay Huddleston 50 cents for the stones. Eventually, the stones were sent to a gem expert in New York City and it was determined that the stones were indeed Arkansas diamonds. One was a 3-carat white diamond and the other was a 1.5-carat yellow diamond.
Word soon got out about the diamonds and "Diamond John" Huddleston became famous. Thousands of people flocked to the little town of Murfreesboro, sparking a boomtown atmosphere. In one year, over 10,000 people were turned away from the Conway Hotel in Murfreesboro. Soon after his find, Huddleston sold his farm for $36,000 and this portion of the crater was closed to the public.
"Crater of Diamonds" is Born
M. M. Mauney owned another portion of the diamond mine, and he originated the idea of letting visitors pay to hunt for diamonds. Some diamond mining operations also began in the years after the discovery, but for many reasons, shrouded in mystery, lawsuits, fines, bankruptcy and other reasons, they were unsuccessful. Then, in 1952, Millar opened a tourist operation at the mine. He dubbed the site, the "Crater of Diamonds."
Millar promoted the site aggressively and received lots of national publicity. A museum, gift shop and restaurant were built and Millar, who was a geologist, gave lectures about the diamonds and also identified the visitors' finds. He received a 20 percent royalty on the value of any stone over 5 carats.
During those years, thousands of diamonds were found. The most famous find was made in 1956 by Mrs. A. L. Parker of Dallas. Millar wrote that Parker found the diamond after heavy rains had fallen on the freshly plowed field. The white diamond was 15.33 carats. It fueled "diamond fever" here again as the crater was "almost overrun with diamond hunters," Millar wrote.
In 1969, the crater was sold to a mining company and in 1972, and the state of Arkansas purchased it. The site was developed into an 888-acre park nestled in a mixed pine and hardwood forest along the banks of the Little Missouri River. There is a visitor's center, gift shop, picnic area, restaurant (summer only), a 1.3-mile trail and 60 campsites with water and electricity. Information credit to www.arkansas.com.
If you plan to travel in Arkansas never missed to come and dig for your own diamond at "Crater Diamond Park" .
1 comment:
hi..visiting you and read your nice blog and i like about diamond thanks a lot and have nice day..
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