[Rockhounds] Diamond hunting

[J. R. Hodel]

If I recall correctly, many folks have had good luck immediately after the first rain shower after staff at the park had turned over fresh dirt. That first shower rinses off the reflective crystals, and the light of day shines from them more than usual. This from reading about the Crater of Diamonds, I've never been there.
They used to have quartz digging contests in the area where collectable quartz is mined in Arkansas in the fall, people sign up to dig in the different quarries, which do some prep work. The local miners act as judges, and people are scored for best crystal, biggest crystal, most crystals, etc. I dunno if that still goes on. There were entry fees, and it raised a little money for the rockhound community in the area.
The one time Wife and I drove through Arkansas north to south on our way from St. Louis to Houston (wedding in St L, family in Houston...) I saw a farm country front yard with trestle tables in the front yard covered with quartz specimens, from big to small, all crystals, to a few crystals on a big massive matrix. Sold by the pound, each table had a varying price per pound. There were barrels where the chunks were soaked in iron out, etc to clean them up. Obviously the home of a miner...

It was a good learning experience. Unfortunately I was driving a VW Jetta, already pretty full of luggage. Still,  I got some pretty rocks.

Some counties in Arkansas are quite dry, as in no beer, nothing. Others have liquor stores at the county line with a sign, No Liquor Next 62 Miles or however far... So take note, they aren't kidding at all. I got some very good bourbons, Buffalo Trace and Pappy van Winkle's at a giant shop just NE of Little Rock, just FYI. Both can be hard to come by as demand far outstrips supply. Someone stole 9000 barrels of one or the other of those from a warehouse facility in KY not too long ago, don't know how you could market "Hot:" spirits, tho. 

Hope this isn't too far off topic, some rocks anyways.