The World's Only Public Diamond Mine Is In An Artsy Arkansas City With A 'Vibrant Culinary Landscape'

Diamonds are a girl's best friend, so the saying goes, but engineers are big fans of this gemstone too. These rare crystals of pure compressed carbon have a special allure not just for their glittering beauty but also for their excellent conductivity and heat dissipation, as well as a unique molecular structure that makes them one of the hardest natural materials on Earth. No wonder diamonds are so coveted!

The biggest diamond mine in the world is in Russia's far eastern city of Yakutsk. The most productive diamond mine is in the Kalahari Desert of Jwaneng, Botswana. It supplies nearly 35% of the world's rough diamonds. But there is only one place in the world where anyone can rock up and dig for diamonds: The Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas is the only public diamond mine in the world. Before you dismiss the possibility of striking it rich, consider that the biggest diamonds ever found in the United States were uncovered here. That includes the Amarillo Starlight Diamond, a 16.37-carat white diamond found by a park visitor on vacation in 1972.

Diamonds are exceedingly rare. Formed by intense pressure and heat billions of years ago, most are buried deep in the earth's crust unreachable even with our best engineering. Special volcanoes known as kimberlites erupted, bringing diamonds to the earth's surface. In Crater of Diamonds State Park, visitors sift through the crater of an ancient, kimberlite volcano, an area of approximately 37 and a half acres. Visitors enter through the Diamond Discovery Center to understand what makes these gems special. There are instructions for how to dig for diamonds and identify them, as well as registration procedures for those lucky enough to find one. The policy here is simple: Finders, keepers. Visitors can bring their own equipment or rent them at the park. No battery-operated or electric machinery is allowed. All digging is done with a shovel, sieve, and bucket. So far, more than 35 thousand diamonds have been found in the park since it was opened to the public.

There are few places in the world to see natural diamonds up close and personal. The diamond market in Antwerp where gem cutters polish the raw stones is one place. But you'd have to fly to Belgium, admittedly one of the most underrated destinations in Europe according to Rick Steves. You could also see the world's biggest diamond, the 3000-carat Cullinan Diamond, one of the Crown Jewels on display at the Tower of London. Sadly, jumping on the Eurostar for a day in London is not an option for many.

That makes Murfreesboro, Arkansas an appealing destination for diamond-lovers and rock-hunters. For those interested in a different kind of gem exploration, the town has antique and gift stores that sell work by local artisans and jewelry designers, some of which incorporate the gemstones found locally. The town also has a small but vibrant food scene. Feed Bin Cafe offers southern fare with a Louisiana kick. Locals swear by the birria tacos oozing with cheese at the roadside Zefe's Taqueria. Hawkins Variety Store is a favorite for its homemade ice cream and sodas. Steeped in nostalgia, customers can also use their 1940s Coca-Cola machine, still in working condition! If you plan on staying the night, Samantha's Timber Inn gets high marks from travelers for the central location and creatively themed rooms.  

If you have time to explore more of Arkansas, it's worth heading to Little Rock, an underrated and artsy gem of a city.  Along the way, you can stop at Hot Springs National Park, for a soak in the natural thermal baths. Those ancient volcanoes were good for more than throwing up diamonds!