State park discusses diamonds
MURFREESBORO — People from across the state visit Crater of Diamonds State Park for many reasons, but one of the more popular reasons is to search for the perfect diamond.
Some hope to set their diamond in a ring or necklace and keep it forever, while others dream that they will discover a large gem to sell. A few have revealed that visiting the park is on their “bucket list,” and they have been planning to visit for many years, the state park said in a news release.
Everyone has personal reasons for visiting the park, but few stop to think about what they are looking for before they arrive. Learning about the fascinating qualities of diamonds can make the next visit to the park more interesting and exciting, the release said.
Diamonds can burn, but, in most situations, diamond hunters don’t have to worry about destroying their treasures in this way. A diamond will disintegrate when exposed to heat up to 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit in pure oxygen. Earth’s atmosphere only contains approximately 20 perfect oxygen, so under normal circumstances, temperatures would need to be much higher to burn diamond.
Most natural diamonds are formed below the Earth’s surface and are brought up by volcanic activity. Park visitors sometimes ask where the volcano is located, expecting to see a huge feature similar to Mount Fuji. The diamonds found at Crater of Diamonds State Park were rushed to the surface by a rare and powerful volcanic eruption that obliterated the cone shape most people are familiar with. Craters like the ones found in the park are considered to be one of the main sources for diamonds, spinel, peridot and other gems and minerals.
The 8.52-carat Esperanza Diamond, discovered at the park in June, has been cut into a 4.62 carat triolette-shaped stone with 147 facets. Most people have heard of round, princess, and marquise-cut diamonds, but the triolette is a new cut created especially for the Esperanza’s unique shape by expert diamond cutter Mike Botha, of Saskatchewan, Canada, the release said.
Diamonds are known to be the hardest natural substance on the planet; the only thing that can cut a diamond is another diamond. As a result, many park visitors mistakenly believe that they can hit a stone with an object like a hammer to test its hardness. Although diamonds are hard, they are also very brittle and will shatter if struck with force. The best way to test a stone’s hardness is to use a steel tool, such as a knife or fingernail file, to scratch the surface. The Diamond Discovery Center is available to authenticate finds from the park.
Diamond finds for the week of Nov. 8 (100 points=1 carat):
Nov. 9 — Thomas Houser, Murfreesboro, 4-point white and 14-point yellow.
Nov. 10 — Bobby Jones, Plain Dealing, 2-point white and 3-point white.
Nov. 11 — Adam Hardin, Murfreesboro, 4-point white and 35-point white.
Nov. 11 — Chad Easter, Hinton, 10-point brown.
Nov. 12 — Sam Diefenderfer, Virginia Beach, Va., 13-point brown; Roy Houser, Springfield, Ill., 1.21 carat white.
Nov. 14 — Gretchen Howell, Stillwater, Okla., 7-point white.
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