DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS: COULD COLORADO FOLLOW THE ARKANSAS MODEL?

Crater of Diamonds State Park consists of 119 acres in Pike County, Arkansas. People visit from all over the world to search a 37-acre field within the park for gemstones like amethyst, garnet, jasper, agate, quartz, and most of all: diamonds. On average, two diamonds per day are found by park visitors. Full scale mining has been attempted, but was found to be uneconomic. Forming a tourist operation proved to be the most profitable option for the area. Northern Colorado contains diamond-bearing lamproite and kimberlite deposits similar to those in Arkansas. The Colorado deposits have produced diamonds over 26 carats in weight, but continued mining has proved uneconomic to date. Could the Colorado deposits provide material for a viable tourist operation in a new State Park like the one at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas? This study compares mineralogy, extent, distribution, accessibility, potential environmental impacts, and land use implications between the existing Arkansas state park and a potential diamond-producing state park in Colorado.