Raymond WhitneyCan a diamond that has spent a few million years forming 100 miles below the surface of the Earth find its way to your backyard after all this time and effort?
Will you be a millionaire if you do a little prospecting in the stream that runs through your backyard?/
In some areas of the United States, diamonds can be found in your own backyard.
Diamonds can also be found in streambeds on your own property.
Even though the chances of finding a diamond in the rough are about 1 in 10 million, it can happen!
Your chances are better in certain parts of the United States, but it’s still possible, regardless of where you live.
Read on to find out how to look for diamonds in the rough and what to do when you think you might have found one.
How Is A Diamond Formed?
Intriguingly, diamonds are made of carbon, a naturally occurring chemical element.
Does a diamond take how long to form?
However, the fact that diamonds have been in the ground for nearly 3.3 billion years, which is older than the earth, remains a mystery to scientists.
Because of the extreme heat and pressure, hundreds of kilometers beneath the surface, the carbon was transformed into diamond-like crystals.
Diamond crystals were formed when carbon atoms were subjected to pressures up to 50 000 times greater than those of Earth’s atmosphere.
It’s no wonder diamonds are one of the world’s most valuable gems, given their extreme hardness and near-indestructibility.
In terms of chemical composition, diamonds are an entirely distinct mineral group.
What Types Of Soil Are Diamonds Found In?
How is it possible to find a diamond in the ground if diamonds form deep within the earth’s mantle?
Magma, the Earth’s molten rocks, was also forming at the same time as diamonds, under the same conditions.
Volcanic eruptions and earth tremors were inevitable due to magma’s rapid expansion.
The molten liquid would reach the Earth’s surface as a result of these explosions.
As the magma traveled to the surface, it swept up rocks, diamonds, and other debris as it went, creating a tunnel.
Molten cooled and solidified in vertical pipes over time. Kimberlite, a vertical formation of igneous rocks, held a treasure trove of diamonds.
Where Are Diamonds Commonly Found?
In the event that you live near an ancient volcanic area, you have a much better chance of finding a diamond.
The reason for this is that magma flows can push diamonds to the surface, where they can be deposited on bare ground.
To learn more about how this works, keep reading.
The Forming of Diamonds in the United States
In order to form diamonds, carbon must be subjected to extreme pressures of up to a hundred miles below the Earth’s surface.
Diamonds formed millions of years ago and are still found today.
Diamonds have appeared on the Earth’s surface as a result of violent volcanic eruptions that pushed magma up and out of deep fractures in the Earth.
“Kimberlite pipes” are the name given to these funnels.
Diamonds can be found in the Appalachian Mountains from New York to Tennessee, as well as in central states like Kentucky and Missouri, Arkansas (more on that later), and Western states like Wyoming and Montana (Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.).
Two commercial diamond mines were established in the United States as a result of this process.
How to Look for Diamonds in Your Backyard
What steps should you take now that you’re ready to begin your diamond hunting expedition? You can find diamonds in your own backyard if you follow these simple steps.
Alluvial Mining
Remember all those Westerns (and a popular cable television show) where people pan for gold?
To find diamonds, you can do this by separating the diamonds from alluvial deposits (riverbed deposits).
It’s possible to pan for diamonds in the old river and stream beds by scanning the surface, screening the soil for diamonds, and then screening it in water
How to Pan for Diamonds
Diamond panning can be done in your backyard if you have a stream or river nearby.
Panning is a technique used to separate gold and other precious metals from sand and other waste.
What you need to know:
- Submerge a pan of the material to be sifted just below the stream or river’s surface.
- After you have swished the pan from front to back and around in a circle, you should be left with only the heavier components like diamonds, such as
Getting it right takes a lot of practice, even though it seems simple.
Using a pie pan is not recommended.
To begin, make sure you have the right tools for panning.
Can You Use a Metal Detector?
Although metal detectors can’t “detect” diamonds, they can tell you if there are mineral markers in the area.
Chromium garnets, olivine, and magnetite are all minerals that may indicate the presence of diamonds in a given area.
You can learn how to find diamonds using a metal detector and associated minerals.
You can learn more about diamonds in the rough by watching this YouTube video, which explains what they look like, where they can be found, and how to find them.
Where Else Are Diamonds Found In Nature?
If you’re not a traveling stone prospector looking for diamonds all over the world, you may not be able to visit some of the most popular excavation sites.
Kimberlite pipes have traditionally been sought after in diamond mining because of their potential to contain diamonds.
Aside from volcanic rocks that have been eroded by rivers and streams, diamonds can also be found in riverbeds and bodies of water where eroded volcanic rock has been carried by glaciers for millennia.
When was the last time you saw someone using a metal detector on the beach or by a river?
They may be searching the beach and other areas for diamonds.
You’ve Found a Diamond! Now What?
You’ve found something that you’re sure isn’t quartz while searching for diamonds, and you wonder if it could be a diamond.
So, what do you need to do now?
How Do You Know You Found a Diamond?
Here are three quick ways to see if you’ve actually found a diamond:
- Reflection: Diamonds are more brilliant than other gemstones because they reflect light more intensely.
- They have a rounded shape, rather than a sharp edge.
- Only diamond can scratch diamond because it is the hardest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale at a 10 out of 10.
Is Your Diamond Gem Quality?
The “4 C’s” — carat weight, cut, clarity, and color — are used to determine a diamond’s gem quality.
- The diamond’s “cut” refers to the way it is shaped to interact with the light it receives.
- Diamonds are measured in carats, which equals 200 milligrams.
- A diamond’s clarity reflects the degree to which it has been tainted by inclusions.
- From D (no color) to Z (the most vibrant), color is graded (more tinted). The value of rare, colorless diamonds is incalculable. (Note the Hope Diamond, a 45.52-carat deep blue diamond and one of the most famous.)
A reputable organization like the Gemological Institute of America can always certify your diamond (GIA.)
Can You Keep It?
Is it possible to keep what you find if you find it on your own property or on property that allows you to keep it?
In addition, you’ll be responsible for taxes on it.
One caution: if you live in a mining area, make sure you own the mineral rights to your property.
“Mineral rights can be sold or conveyed separately from property rights” in the United States, according to Nolo’s research.
Could There Be Diamonds in Your Backyard?
Even if you don’t have access to a kimberlite volcanic pipe or an ancient volcanic crater, you can still search for diamonds in your backyard.
This is because “alluvial diamond sites” are also present.
As a result of glaciers or rivers picking up and transporting diamonds away from kimberlite areas, these areas are frequently thousands of miles away.
Diamond Hunting Beyond Your Backyard
In the United States, you can go diamond hunting in a number of locations.
Consider these excellent possibilities:
- New York
- North Carolina
- California
- Nevada
- Montana
- Arkansas
In fact, if you’re looking for diamonds outside of your own backyard, Arkansas may be your best bet. To find out why to keep reading.
Crater of Diamonds State Park
Just outside Murfreesboro Arkansas, the Crater of Diamonds State Park is one of the few places in the world where you can look for real diamonds in the rough.
Formed from the eroded surface of an ancient volcanic crater, you can search 37 acres for diamonds.
And the best part is, you get to keep whatever diamond or other valuable gemstones you find.
In September 2020, a visitor to the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas found a 9-carat diamond.
You Can Find Diamonds in Your Backyard
Finding diamonds in your own backyard is just one of several options we’ve discussed in this article.
When it comes to finding diamonds and knowing what to do with them, we’ve provided plenty of resources.
All you need is a little research, the right equipment, and persistence to find diamonds right in your own backyard.
As exciting as finding a diamond in the rough can be, remember that the experience of searching for diamonds, especially with friends and family, can be invaluable.
Do not be alarmed if you find worms while digging in your backyard; they can be beneficial in a variety of ways, not the least of which is composting!
