Not all diamond mining is dramatic. The operation at Murfreesboro in Pikes County, Arkansas, is a down-home affair called the Crater of Diamonds. It's in the center of a state park and for more than 20 years has been "mined" by tourists who pay $5 a day for the right to dig for gems. It can be a rewarding experience.

In one recent year, close to 80,000 people paid for the privilege of grubbing around the surface of the only existing diamond mining venture in North America and took home  a total of 1,400 diamonds.

Most of the crystals are small. However,  there have been some stunning exceptions -- notably the 40.23 carat Star of Arkansas found in 1924 and the 32.43 carat Star of Murfreesboro found in 1964.

A geological survey of the Pike County area in 1889 noted the presence of volcanic material similar to that in which southern Africa's diamonds are found. No one paid much attention until 1906 when an enterprising prospector named John Huddleston discovered two stones which Tiffany & Co. confirmed were diamonds.

Over the next 50 years, a half dozen different companies -- among them the Ozark  Diamond Mines Corp. and the North American Diamond Corp. --  tried to mine the area.

One company spent the entire year of 1948 producing diamonds valued at only $984.00!

But the area is arousing serious mining interest again. A four-company group now wants to conduct a major geological survey at the mine;  the most optimistic forecast on what may be found: $5 billion worth of diamonds.

An Arkansas-mined  4.25 carat canary yellow diamond ring was worn by Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Inaugural celebration. The stone was found by a tourist in 1977.