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You don't have to be a professional miner to find gems! According to the Daily Mail, Colorado resident Beth Gilbertson found an 8.66-carat diamond while digging around in Crater of Diamonds State Park, which she is calling the Illusion Diamond. It's the third largest diamond found in that park, and although there isn't an estimate of the gem's worth yet, the UK site says it "is certainly in the hundreds of thousands range minimum."
Beth has been a regular visitor at the park, located in Murfreesboro, AR, ever since she watched a show on America's top treasure hunting spots. If you want to get lucky like Beth, here are the 12 places to hunt for gems and rare materials according to the Travel Channel:
Murfreesboro, AR: Hunt for diamonds at the Crater of Diamonds State Park.
Big Sur, CA: Look for jade at the beach at Jade Cove.
Pine Grove, CA: Pan for gold nuggets at the Roaring Camp.
Brenham Township, KS: Find meteorites in deserts and dry lake beds.
Denio, NV: Try your luck at the Bonanza Opal Mine for some shimmery opals.
Tonopah, NV: Spot turquoise gems in the Royston Mine.
Deming, NM: A good place to hunt for thunder eggs, also referred to as geodes, is at the Rockhound State Park.
