Where can I find gemstones myself?
Verdict summary
Public dig-your-own sites include Crater of Diamonds (diamonds, Arkansas), sapphire digs in Montana, emerald and gem mines around Hiddenite and Franklin in North Carolina, Oregon's sunstone area, and Australia's fossicking fields such as Lightning Ridge (opal) and the Gemfields of Queensland (sapphire). Many charge a small fee.
Rockhounding on public land is often allowed for small personal amounts, but collecting in national parks is not.
Sources: State park and land agency rockhounding rules.
Where can you find diamonds in the US? Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas is the only diamond-bearing site in the world open to the public, where visitors dig for diamonds in an eroded volcanic crater and keep what they find. Visitors find hundreds of diamonds each year.
Primary sources cited
- State park and land agency rockhounding rules