Water does not make diamonds grow.
However, more rain than normal brings them to the surface more, as Hebron, Neb., school teacher Josh Lanik found out in just two hours of searching July 24 at Crater of Diamonds State Park, Murfreesboro, Ark.
"My family and I are on a 50-state tour of the U.S. this summer. And so far, Arkansas is the highlight of the trip. A co-worker at my school suggested the Crater of Diamonds. Didn't expect things to get all crazy," he said.
Arkansas was the 13th stop on the 50-state tour.
As word got out about the diamond find, Hebron found himself swarmed by media outlets looking for the story.
"It's been quite the 24-48. I just expected maybe a few Arkansas media organizations to contact me, but instead, they've been calling from all over. I've heard from the Washington Post, CNN.com, close to a dozen media interview requests, from local newspapers to national television."
The unusual level of rain activity has brought out more surface diamonds than usual, according to Waymon Cox, park interpreter.
"Under normal mining conditions, one or two diamonds are found on the surface every couple of weeks," he said. "Most diamonds, you have to dig for them. But last couple of weeks, 10 of them were found on the surface."
No matter the mining conditions, however, Cox recommends prospective prospectors do their homework before heading off to the mine.
"The more research you do, the better chance you have of finding your diamond," he said. "Also, dress and prepare for the weather."
The park offers resources to help visitors to the park looking to make their score. Many resources online also exist to help teach diamond-finding knowledge. Lanik found his diamond in two hours. Most people need more time, but none of that is a guarantee.
"Some just happen upon a diamond quickly," he said. "Some take years before finding a diamond."
One notable, frequent miner was James Archer of Nashville, Ark., who passed away in 2003.
"James mined the crater for over 30 years," Cox said. "He probably found over 5,000 diamonds, those that were reported, anyway. He gave most of them away."