Dig for Diamonds

Equipment deposit: $5 per child ( $3 is refundable )

Each year I usually have several loads of topsoil delivered to help maintain the mounded raspberry rows. Late one 1999 September, during the final day of our raspberry season, young kids who were playing in this big dirt pile started bringing me several small, very pretty crystalline rocks. Over the years we have had several more truck loads of soil, limestone, mulch, and sand delivered. Depending on the source, each load usually has a uniquely colored mineral and allowed us to expand our diamond digging area. This has become -- by far --- the most popular all season fun activity at Lakeview Farms.

Click here for a pictures of some of our biggest diamonds and best miners.

Clear Quartz points (optical grade)		$1.50 ounce	Generally long crystalline form -- good mixture of sizes.  This mineral is used in quartz watches, memory chips, optical fiber, telescope, and camera lenses.
Black Quartz		$1.35 ounce	relatively expensive (usually $3 to 5 each) because of the large size.  The record cost is $12 !!
Amethyst Points		$1.60 ounce	very pretty amethyst  color -- good mixture of sizes.  Used extensively in jewelery
Amethyst Cluster		$1.86 ounce	very pretty dark amethyst color but some very large samples could cost $20. Very large specimens (several feet tall and over 100 lbs.) called  amethyst cathedrals are used as spectacular entry room decorations.  These will not be found in our mine !!
Orange Calcite		$0.50 ounce	very pretty --almost looks like an orange slice
Red Quartz		$0.50 ounce	Very pretty rust red color
Blue Quartz		$0.50 ounce	large stones in light blue color but irregular shapes
Amber Calcite		$0.50 ounce	medium size in a clear amber crystal
Green Calcite		$0.50 ounce	rectangular shaped in a emerald cool ice green color
Geodes		Polished $1.70 ounce Rough $0.60 ounce	On one side these look like ordinary rocks but when cut or broken it become obvious that the rock is hollow with pretty crystalline deposits on the inside. The Geologists naturally call these "Geodes". For more information on Geodes in Missouri click here.
Black Sphalerite  (Esfarelite)		$0.50 ounce	NEW FOR 2010 Sphalerite is mostly crystalline zinc sulfite, widely available throughout the world, and normally used as a zinc ore. Higher iron concentrations in this mineral create a darker grey/black mineral which is what we have available.

I doubt that these very pretty clear rocks really are diamonds, but you are welcome to take home any interesting samples that you find for the prices indicated. Keep in mind that color and clarity are very important criteria in determining the value of a stone.

There are several places in Australia where people can actually go digging in a field and (not too often, of course) find real diamonds. If you don't plan on visiting Australia, there is also Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas

or an excellent quartz mine in Arkansas (West of Hot Springs) that allows groups or individuals to dig on their own (after some mine safety instruction). Click here for more information on Wegner Crystal Mines.