Posted on 11/11/2022 7:16:32 AM PST by Red Badger
Jessica and Seth Erickson's 1.90-carat diamond found at Crater of Diamonds State Park
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Jessica and Seth Erickson, of Chatfield, MN, recently embarked on an 11-state road trip for their 10th anniversary. Having first heard about Arkansas’s Crater of Diamonds State Park years ago, they planned a special stop at America’s only public diamond mine along the way. On the morning of their visit, the couple found a brown diamond weighing nearly two carats.
The Ericksons arrived at Crater of Diamonds early on a Friday morning. They spent the morning digging dirt and by 11 a.m. were wet sifting at the North Washing Pavilion in the park’s 37.5-acre diamond search area. There they met some of the park’s friendly regular visitors, who helped them learn how to properly sift. Although most diamonds are found after flipping gravel onto a flat surface, Seth first spotted a metallic-looking gem in the bottom of his screen after an hour of wet sifting. He knew right away it was a diamond and excitedly showed Jessica.
The couple carried their iced tea-color gem in a clear vial to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, where park staff registered it as a 1.90-carat brown diamond about the size of a pony bead.
Many people who find diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park choose to name their gems. The Ericksons named theirs HIMO, the initials of each of their children.
Wet sifting is a method used by many guests to search for diamonds. Park Interpreter Tayler Markham says, “Two screens are used to wet sift. The top screen has a bigger mesh size, one-quarter of an inch, while the bottom screen is smaller, about 1/16 of an inch. Guests submerge screen sets in water to wash away the soil. Once the soil is removed, the gravel is then separated by size and weight to make diamonds easier to find.” According to park staff, about three-fourths of all diamonds registered at the Crater of Diamonds are found by wet sifting.
As of this publication, 581 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2022. An average of one to two diamonds are found by park visitors each day.
Tayler Markham 
Tayler Markham began her career as a park interpreter at Crater of Diamonds State Park in April 2022. She graduated in the fall of 2021 with a Bachelor's Degree in Geoscience. Tayler enjoys hiking, camping and kayaking. She teaches hundreds of people how to search for diamonds every month and looks forward to finding a diamond of her own.
This is on my bucket list.
Bump
My cousin and I were just talking about this place last week. I have never been there as we always drive on by and go to the Buffalo River area.
Arkansas has some of the nicest places to visit. Buffalo City, where the Buffalo River begins its run off of the White River, is very quaint and scenic. Some of the best trout fishing in the US.
One of my morning coffee buddies and his wife were up there earlier this week. Took their RV camper and stayed a couple of nights. Really nice RV park he said.
Did it about 30 years ago. Great day outside and fun if your lucky enough to find something nice.
We have been near there but usually west of there. We stayed on top of Mount Magazine last time. Arkansas state parks are much better than Texas, and they’re free.
I’ve been several times. The best time to go looking for diamonds is right after a slight rain.
I’ve been several times. The best time to go looking for diamonds is right after a slight rain.
I saw that as the size of a pony HEAD at first glance...sweet mother of mercy!
a Brown Diamond?
That sounds like something that Florida man pulled out of his, errhhh ..... never mind.
I have always wondered what would be found if someone were allowed to get serious about diamond mining and dig down. You would think this surface would be picked completely over. That surface has been plowed and replowed so many times it has to be about worn out.
Surely someone has dug some exploration trenches. I would like to take my little trackhoe down there and do some digging.
OK, I quickly Googled a 1.9 carat brown diamond, and found it might be worth upwards of $5000, cut.
However, it won’t be 1.9 after it’s cut, so I figured it would be less.
However, I read a quick article about how having a nice cut would make it more expensive.
There sure are a lot of “however’s” when you talk about diamonds...
So, I really don’t know how much money they picked up out of that dirt...
They will probably get it appraised and then keep it as a family heirloom...........
We have that on our list also.
Complete Guide to Chocolate Diamonds:
https://www.estatediamondjewelry.com/chocolate-diamonds/#what-chocolate-diamond
50 years ago these diamonds would have gone straight to industrial uses, drill bits grinding wheels, etc.
A jeweler told me 30 years ago the diamond industry just figured out a way to sell cheap diamonds at a premium by calling them ‘Champaign Diamonds’...............
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