Visitors find diamond at Arkansas state park

Dallas Morning News ^ | March 25, 2006 | n/a

[txroadkill]

Associated Press

MURFREESBORO, Ark. – A Kansas woman and her 12-year-old son have a 2.12-carat diamond to take back home with them after a vacation in Arkansas.

A news release Saturday from the state Parks and Tourism Department said the pair – Jennifer Jones of Derby, Kansas, and her son Jacob Ballard – found the gem Friday at Crater of Diamonds State Park.

Crater of Diamonds State Park is the world's only diamond-producing site open to seaching by the public.

According to the news release, Jones and her son found the diamond as they looked near an old mine shaft building in the park's 37-acre diamond search area, which is regularly plowed to turn up new soil. Jones said her son tossed a rock and it knocked some dirt off the top of a mound of soil and there sat the gem on top of what remained of the mound.

Park interpreter Rachel Engebrecht said the light yellow, oval-shaped diamond – about the size of an english pea – is transparent, like a dewdrop, and appears to be of gem quality, a nearly flawless raw diamond.

[txroadkill]

There's Diamonds in them thar hills!

[Mrs. Shawnlaw]

This story is not so unusual! Many sizeable gems have been found there. The ratio of visitors to find diamonds is quite high as well.

[Number57]

I wouldn't know an uncut, unpolished gemstone if it passed through my eurethra. I'd notice it, but wouldn't keep it.

That said, I have been fooled by fake diamonds, much to my ex-wife's dismay :/

[DoughtyOne]

As a kid I traveled with my dad to that diamond mine. It resembled a field. Folks were out there checking out the stones. I basicly veged out while the adults scrabled. Ah, fond memories. LOL

I also remember driving down an Arkansas road in the same section of the state, picking up a few naturally magnetic rocks.

These were the days... sigh.

[Unmarked Package]

Just the other day, I was examining the Arkansas coin in the 50 State Quarters Program of coins from the U.S. Mint. I was perplexed by the diamond portrayed on the Arkansas Quarter. In an attempt to satisfy my curiosity, I found an interesting article about the diamond mine in Arkansas. I had no idea it existed, and I've lived next door in Texas for 30 years.

Catch "Diamond Fever" at the Crater of Diamonds in Murfreesboro

[Atchafalaya]

Seems you have eureka and urethra plowed under together; LOL, couldn't pass it up

[Young Werther]

As a youngster I would read my Dad's "True-The Men's Magazine". They featured the diamond mine in one article where they showed that DeBeers had lobbied and actually prevented the commercial development of this mine.

Once Russia began exporting their Siberian Diamonds DeBeers monopoly was broken!!!

Today I got a haircut and the reading material available at this haircut store were, Ladies Home Journal, People, US etc... etc. Gone are the days of "True", Playboy. and World Net Daily!!!!..and our children suffer with stunted reading skills because True ain't around no more!

I only subscribed to Playboy for the articles and cartoons!

[elkfersupper]

Alas, I too remember the days when the only refuge from the female of the species was the barber shop or pool hall.

Regrettably, those are now also gone.

Today, I realized that the feminization of America is complete when I ripped a paper towel off the roll and got half a sheet.

What man in America would want or find a use for half a paper towel?

[Number57]

LMAO...

[garylmoore]

So, what's it's worth?

[AmericaUnited]

It might be 'fun' to 'salt' this mine with lots of zircons...

[Bon mots]

Arkansas coin? This one?

[Caipirabob]

I've been here as a child, it's not too far from some old family farms and homesteads. I spent an afternoon looking for diamonds with my mother. I found only dirt but afterwards she bought me ice cream, so it was a pretty successful afternoon for a child.

[LucyJo]

You should have seen the surprised, then disgusted, reaction from my husband the first time that happened to him. lol. It's just another of life's little inconveniences for him - trying carefully to tear a paper towel from the roll so as to get a whole instead of a half sheet!

I will have to admit that my first reaction was surprise, and a sense of satisfaction. I hadn't considered it a feminine thing - just another convenient option. lol.

[jslade]

What man in America would want or find a use for half a paper towel?

I love them. Folded over with a bottle of Windex spray make great moniter cleaners. Keep 5-6 of them right by the puter.

[Unmarked Package]

LOL...no, not that coin! The picture you posted is the official "Clinton Legacy" coin of Arkansas which commemorates the one thing for which the Clinton Presidency will be remembered. That coin will be famous for hundreds of years hence. The obscure coin I was examining, with the diamond depicted on it, is the lesser known Arkansas Quarter shown below.

[lowbridge]

So how much is it worth?

[txroadkill]

Best I can tell, about $24K

http://shopping.msn.com/Prices/shp/?itemId=33274254

 

[OldEagle]

"Best I can tell, about $24K"

That price us for a cut diamond. The one they found isn't worth a whole lot until it is cut. Based on the quality and shape of the raw stone it might yield a cut stone of a much smaller size or not at all.