Diamonds Are My Best Friend



Imagine a place where diamonds lie on the ground, and anyone can just go and pick them up. That's right, anyone. Not just ruthless Blood Diamond-style smugglers (good movie, by the way), or wealthy mine owners... we're talkin you, me, and Dupree (awful movie, incidently).

Until today, I didn't know such a place existed. But then I read this article: Man nearly tosses 4.38-carat diamond.

Apparently, Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson found a huge diamond at a state park and failed to realize it's value until the last minute.

He found the diamond in a place called Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. According to the AP, the park is "the world's only diamond-producing site open to the public, and visitors can keep the gems they unearth."

!!!!!!

Yes. Wow. How have I not heard of this place before??? Why the hell are people dying in Africa over diamonds, when they could just pick up some diamonds at the park??

And apparently these diamonds are not difficult to uncover. According to the AP, 700 diamonds have been found this year!! Johnson was making a living finding diamonds and selling them!!

I've never been particularly interested in Arkansas. Sure, Bill Clinton's from there, and I think it's funny they pronounce it Arkansaw. But until today, I never considered going down there for a lucrative future.

I had trouble believing it, but according to the park's website:

Diamonds of all colors of the rainbow can be found here at Crater of Diamonds, but the three most common colors unearthed by park visitors are white, brown and yellow. This Arkansas Diamond Mine is a rockhound's delight since, along with diamonds, over 40 types of rocks and minerals can found here, too. These rocks and minerals include lamproite, amethyst, banded agate, jasper, peridot, garnet, quartz, calcite, barite and hematite.

...the policy here is "finders keepers." Any diamonds, semi-precious stones, rocks or minerals you unearth are yours to keep, regardless of their value.

I suspect now that this AP article has hit the newspapers, the secret is out. Can we expect an Arkansas diamond rush as monumental as the California gold rushes of the 1800's? I, for one, am packing my pick axe and burlap diamond collection bag. I'll see you all in Murfreesboro, Arkansaw.

Just keep your grubby hands off my diamonds.