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Crater of Diamonds Facts
- No other Arkansas state park is as widely known as the Crater of Diamonds State Park, Arkansas's diamond site that is located in southwest Arkansas two miles southeast of Murfreesboro. The largest diamond ever unearthed in the United States, the 40.23-carat "Uncle Sam" diamond, is a white gem found here in 1924 during an early commercial mining operation. And the Crater of Diamonds also produced the most perfect diamond ever certified by the American Gem Society, the 3.03-carat "Strawn-Wagner Diamond," a white gem found in 1990 that was cut to a 1.09-carat stone and graded "D" flawless gem. This is the highest grade a diamond can achieve, and a diamond this perfect is so rare that most jewelers and gemologists never see one.
- Crater of Diamonds is world's eighth largest diamond-bearing deposit in surface area, and it is the world's only diamond-producing site where the public can search. Park prospectors get to keep what they find, regardless of value. Besides diamonds, several semi-precious stones are unearthed at the site including amethyst, garnet, jasper, agate, quartz and more. In addition, over 100 types of minerals are found at the Crater making it a rock-hound's delight.
- The Crater of Diamonds is a unique Arkansas state treasure. The diamond in the Arkansas state flag represents this site.
- Since farmer John Huddleston found the first diamonds in 1906, over 75,000 diamonds have been discovered here. Of these diamonds, some were unearthed during early mining attempts, others were found when the Crater was operated as a private tourist attraction from 1952 to 1972, and 24,000 of these diamonds were found by lucky park visitors after Crater of Diamonds State Park was established in 1972.
- The three most common colors of diamonds that are found at the Crater are white, brown or yellow, in that order, although diamonds come in all colors of the rainbow. On the average, two diamonds a day are discovered in the park's diamond search area.
- Park prospectors search over a 37 1/-2 acre plowed field, the eroded surface of an ancient gem-bearing volcanic pipe that was formed during a series of sub-oceanic volcanic eruptions approximately 95 million years ago under the ocean that then covered Arkansas. Testing has revealed that the surface area of the Crater's volcanic pipe covers 80.3 acres, making it the eighth largest such deposit in the world. The pipe has depth to at least 600 feet, and is shaped like a martini glass. The diamonds found by visitors in the park's diamond search area occur as loose stones in the soil formed by the weathering of the top of the kimberlite intrusion beneath the park.
- The Crater's search area is a "field of dreams" for park prospectors. Diamond hunters include local residents, other Arkansans from all around the state, and prospectors from other states and even foreign countries. Approximately 85,000 people visit the Crater of Diamonds State Park each year. The largest diamond ever discovered by a park visitor was the 16.37-carat "Amarillo Starlight" that W. W. Johnson of Amarillo, Texas discovered in 1975 when he noticed it sparkling in the dirt.
- Following the 40.23-carat "Uncle Sam" diamond and the 16.37-carat "Amarillo Starlight" in weight is the "Star of Arkansas," a white diamond found in 1956 that weighs 15.33 carats. The "Star of Shreveport," unearthed in 1981, is a white diamond that weighs 8.82 carats. The Lamle diamond, a 8.61-carat brown diamond, was found in 1978. The 7.95-carat Connell diamond, a white gem, was found in 1986. And the Stevens/Dickenson diamond, a yellow 7.28-carat stone was discovered in 1998.
- Thirteen diamonds have weighed between six and eight carats each.
- News of this diamond site, and of its notable diamonds, has traveled the world. The Crater has produced an impressive, ever-growing list of celebrity gems.
- The flawless 4.25-carat "Kahn Canary" diamond, discovered here in 1977, has been on exhibit at many cities around the U. S. and overseas. The uncut, triangular-shape diamond was featured in an illustrious jewelry exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium in 1997 that included precious stones from throughout the world including the Kremlin collection, the Vatican, Cartier and Christies. And, in late 1997, the "Kahn Canary" was featured in another prestigious exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in New York entitled, "The Nature of Diamonds."
- Former First Lady Hillary Clinton borrowed the "Kahn Canary" from its owner, Stan Kahn of Pine Bluff, and wore it in a special, Arkansas-inspired ring setting designed by Henry Dunay of New York. Mrs. Clinton wore the diamond as a special way to represent Arkansas at the galas celebrating both of Bill Clinton's presidential inaugurals.
- Another notable diamond from the Crater is the flawless "Strawn-Wagner Diamond," the most perfect diamond ever certified in the laboratory of the American Gem Society. Shirley Strawn of Murfreesboro, Arkansas discovered the 3.03-carat white gem in 1990. She worked with Bill Underwood of Underwood's Fine Jewelers of Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1997 to have the gem cut. Underwood sent the diamond sent to Lazare Kaplan International in New York, the world's premier diamond cutter, for cutting. The gem was cut to perfection to 1.09-carat round brilliant shape featuring an "Ideal Cut." This cut allows for the maximum amount of light to be reflected from one facet to another and up through the top. The diamond was graded "D" flawless, O/O/O (for cut/color/clarity), the highest grade a diamond can achieve. This is a museum-quality stone. The dazzling gem rests in a custom-made ring setting specially designed and crafted by Underwood's to symbolize Arkansas, The Natural State using pure platinum and pure 24-carat gold, both in their natural form with no alloys. Two 24-carat, gold apple blossoms representing Arkansas's state flower rest on each side of the crown.
- Arkansas State Parks purchased the "Strawn-Wagner Diamond" in 1990 using private donations and grant funds so that it could be put on permanent exhibit at the site from which it came. The "Strawn-Wagner Diamond" exhibit was unveiled at the Crater of Diamonds State Park visitor center exhibit gallery in the fall of 2000.
- Renowned inventor and magnate Henry Ford at one time considered the idea of owning and operating a diamond mine at the site which is now Crater of Diamonds State Park.
- Arkansas diamonds were reported to be 28 percent harder than their African counterparts, based on tests run by the Ford Motor Company prior to World War II. Because of their hardness, often Arkansas diamonds are used to cut other diamonds.
- Diamonds from the Crater of Diamonds are on display at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.
