Where you can actually hunt for diamonds and gemstones across the US

A tourist recently uncovered a 7.46-carat diamond in an Arkansas state park, but it turns out there are plenty of other places where travellers can unearth these hidden gems.

Last week, a Parisian tourist on a US road trip stopped off at Arkansas's Crater of Diamonds State Park – where visitors pay $15 per day to search for naturally formed gems glistening in the dirt. After a long, hard day of digging and picking, he looked down and spotted a glistening 7.46-carat diamond that, depending on its clarity and other factors, could be worth thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars. As is the case with dozens of pay-to-dig gemstone sites across the United States, it was "finders, keepers".

The lucky explorer named his jewel the "Carine Diamond" after his fiancée, and while it was a rare victory – the eighth-largest such stone found there – it's not too unusual to bring home a diamond, according to prospectors Frank and Kyndall Stallings. The husband-and-wife team have been digging for crystals and writing a blog called That Camping Couple across the United States since 2020. 

In the past three and a half years, the Stallings have found 11 diamonds of their own in Arkansas, as well as turquoise in Nevada, garnet in Idaho, crystals in upstate New York, syenites in Michigan and emeralds and sapphires in North Carolina. Modern prospectors (or fossickers, as they're known in the UK) might keep these treasures, use them in jewelry or – in the Stallings' case – sell their finds to social media followers in live-streamed events on Facebook and Instagram.

Some locations require diggers to rent their equipment on site; other mines welcome visitors to bring their own gear. "It's physically demanding," Frank Stallings told BBC Travel, "but it is very easy, in a lot of locations, to be successful if you're willing to put in the work."

Here are six places across the US where you can pick up a sledgehammer and chisel and try your luck.

Open year-round 

Ron Coleman Mining's digital specialist Tresa McFarlin told BBC Travel that visitors come here seeking pristine, water-clear crystal quartz points or clusters. For $25 per day (children under 6 dig for free) they may sift through the tailings of the on-site commercial quartz-mining operation and fill up a five-gallon bag with their finds. Staff are on hand to help. "Some people find a lot," McFarlin said. "It just really depends on how much you want to dig, how hard you want to work and how long you want to stay." 

Open May 15 to November 15

At Royal Peacock Opal Mines, diggers pay $190 per day and all their finds are theirs to keep. Two years ago, Kyndall Stallings spotted a black opal worth between $3,000 and $5,000 here. She says the staff are helpful and the mine's website is full of how-to's for newcomers.

Early April through October 

These seasonal mines open their 2024 season in April, and opening day will bring droves of enthusiasts digging Herkimer diamonds – a type of especially clear, especially hard quartz crystal unique to Herkimer County in central New York state. Adults pay $18 per day to dig weekdays and $20 on weekends. 

Late May to mid-September 

This quarry is known for its museum-quality fossilised creatures – from bats to fish to a Miohippus – a prehistoric three-toed horse. Adults might pay $159 per day, which includes all tools. The Stallings have taken home fossilised stingrays, crawfish and more from here.

Open year-round

The main event at this 911-acre Arkansas state park is a 37.5-acre plowed field where visitors can come hunt for diamonds formed by region's ancient volcanic activity. More than 35,000 have been found since the park opened in 1972, and while about 100,000 people visit each year, according to representatives from Arkansas State Parks, one to two prospecting visitors take home valuable treasure every day. Park admission for adults is $15 per day. 

Open year-round 

Another $25-per-day opportunity, Emerald Hollow Mine allows visitors the chance to uncover the property's namesake gems, as well as tourmaline, quartz, manganese and more.

"I know the largest emerald that came off the property was [worth] a million dollars," said Frank Stallings. "And North Carolina emeralds are some of the best in the world."

If someone already took home a million-dollar emerald, does that mean there isn't another big find waiting to be discovered?

"There's a recurring theme across all these places: The best is still to be found," he added. "Some people will say it's all been dug up, but it's still out there."

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