For basic information about how, when and where to experience North America’s total solar eclipse and why you must try to get yourself to the path of totality on April 8, check my main feed.
Diamonds and total solar eclipses always go together. On April 8, only from inside a 115 miles wide path across North America, totality will begin—as it always does—with the “diamond ring effect.” That’s the name eclipse chasers give to the sight of the last and first bead of sunlight as the sun is almost totally eclipsed.
It’s one of the most beautiful natural sight because it also comes with the sight of a halo of light around the eclipse—the sun’s corona. Hence the name “diamond ring.”
Now, a state park in Arkansas wants to make another diamond ring possible that day by offering eclipse visitors the chance to go look for their own gem on either side of the brief darkness in the day. However, you’ll need your own bucket and shovel—as well as your own solar eclipse glasses for safely observing the partial phases.
Tickets Now On Sale
Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro, Arkansas just happens to be inside the path of totality on April 8, and at 13:47 CDT will see 3 minutes 34 seconds of totality. The partial phases will begin at 12:30 and end at 15:08 CDT. There’s a 52% chance of cloud that day, according to The Eclipse Company, which is among the best in the U.S.
Tickets will be required to enter the park that day and are now on sale at $15 for adults and $7 for children. According to SW Arkansas News, tickets will likely sell out quickly, as will rental gear, so park staff recommend visitors bring buckets, shovels, wagons and sifting screens.
Original Volcanic Source
Crater of Diamonds has been on my list of great places to watch the eclipse for years. The result of a volcanic eruption 100 million years ago that carried diamonds to the surface, it’s one of the only places in the world where the public can search for real diamonds in their original volcanic source. Visitors to the park are allowed to look for rocks, minerals and gemstones on a regularly plowed 37-acre field, the eroded surface of a volcanic crater. It’s accessed via the park’s Diamond Discovery Center.
An average of one to two small diamonds are found by park visitors each day. “We periodically plow the search area to loosen the diamond-bearing soil and promote natural erosion,” said Waymon Cox, Assistant Park Superintendent. “As rain falls on the field, it washes away the dirt and uncovers heavy rocks, minerals and diamonds near the surface.”
Recent Discovery
Although 75,000 diamonds have been found here over the years, only a few standout. In January, a French tourist found a 7.46-carat brown diamond, about the size of a candy gumdrop, the largest since 2020 and the eighth-largest diamond ever found in the Crater of Diamonds. “It is a magical place where the dream of finding a diamond can come true!” said Julien Navas of Paris, France. “It was a real great adventure.”
The first diamond was found here in 1906 by John Huddleston, a farmer who owned some of the craters at that time, according to the park’s website. It’s been a tourist attraction since 1952 and a state park since 1972.
I’m an expert on eclipses—the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com and author of The Complete Guide To The Great North American Eclipse of April 8, 2024. For the very latest on the total solar eclipse—including travel and lodging options—check my main feed for new articles each day.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
