Wouldn’t it be nice to find a couple of diamonds in your front yard? Situations like this are not impossible; you never know when you might come across a precious stone on your lawn.
So, what happens if you find diamonds on your property?
You won’t find diamonds on your property every day, but it is very important that you deal with the situation accordingly when it happens. And while this seems like an excellent opportunity to keep them, you shouldn’t – and we’ll explain why.
To find out exactly what to do and what awaits you if you do something wrong, scroll down!
No Keeping!
Unfortunately, if you find a diamond on your property, you must not put it in your pocket. If you do, you’re committing a crime.
You see, this diamond didn’t just fall from the sky and land on your lawn. A far more realistic situation would be that someone lost it. If that happened to you, wouldn’t you want your diamond returned? You sure would.
When people find diamonds on their property, they usually don’t think in the same way. Based on the initial reaction, there are two types of people.
The first type will recognize what is on their property, put it in their pocket, and act as if nothing has happened.
However, this carefree state of mind will not last long. Someone who has lost a diamond ring, for example, will surely want to look for it at some point. In that case, if the original owner finds out that it was last seen on someone else’s property, the person who picked up the diamond will be charged with felony theft.
The second type will realize that the diamond found on their property has its original owner, who is probably concerned at the moment. These people will most likely take the found diamond to the police and report it to the lost and found.
It’s the right thing to do.
What if the diamond you found was fake? Even if you find a diamond that turns out to be fake, it is still considered someone else’s possession, and it is illegal for you to claim it.
The Legal Side Of Keeping A Diamond
We have concluded that keeping a diamond that you found on your property is illegal. There are precise terms for this, and they’re either a felony of lost property or mislaid property.
Let’s explain these two in detail.
Felony Of Lost Property
This one is not as “dangerous” as mislaid property. In order to explain it, here is an example of a situation:
Let’s say that a man is walking in front of you, and his wallet is sticking out of his pocket. At one point, his wallet fell out, but he didn’t notice it and kept walking.
You have two options – pick up the wallet and take it home, or stop the man and return it to him.
If you do the first thing and take the wallet home, you’re committing a felony of lost property.
Can anyone accuse you? Yes, but only if one of the passers-by saw you taking the wallet for yourself instead of returning it to its rightful owner.
Mislaid Property
Now, this is a more severe crime.
According to law, mislaid property involves accidentally leaving your valuables on someone else’s property. It’s the same when the owner leaves an item – a diamond ring, for example – in one place, and after a few minutes, returns and does not find it there.
By law, anyone who finds a lost or abandoned item must return it to the owner (if they know them) or take it to the police.
However, if the founder of the item doesn’t do so within a certain period, the thing remains in their possession until someone initiates court proceedings.
If someone who’s lost a diamond locates you and it turns out that you didn’t report the found diamond, you can expect a fine.
Diamond Hunting in Arkansas
Believe it or not, there are a couple of places where you can find diamonds for free and keep them. One of the most famous places is The Crater of Diamonds State Park, located near Murfreesboro, Arkansas.
It’s one of the most famous diamond mines where you can independently look for diamonds that will remain in your possession.
So, how do you start looking for your diamonds?
People do this in different ways. Some take tools and shovels with them and start digging in the soil. Others simply use gloves and carefully search the ground around them. Either way, the chances of finding some million-dollar diamond are small.
But you can come across various gemstones that still have some value to them.
Attention: Power tools such as drills are not allowed!
If you want to be successful in this diamond hunt, you need to have a sharp eye, patience, and a lot of luck!
Learn More:
Other Places You Can Go To
The Crater of Diamonds State Park is not the only place where you can dig up a valuable diamond or two. Here are a couple more alternatives:
- Alabama Gold Camp: If you are at The Alabama Gold Camp, you can rent shacks for lodging. This camp is also family-friendly. When you go in search of diamonds, you may also come across some fossils and Indian artifacts.
- Spectrum Sunstone Mine: Located in Oregon, this is a privately owned property. It is open from May to October, and during this period, visitors and researchers are allowed to rent cabins.
- Herkimer Diamond Mines: The gems you find here are, in most cases, diamond-shaped. Also, you don’t have to carry anything with you; this campsite gives you the opportunity to rent their complete equipment – digging and clothes.
- Emerald Hollow Mine: This site stretches around 70 acres, and it is located in Winston-Salem. As you might have guessed by the name, you can find emeralds and gems here. A great thing about this place is that it is open year-round.
- Morefield Gem Mine: Now, this is a truly historic site. It has been open since 1929 and is almost 300 feet deep. The chances of finding something valuable here are more significant than at some other camps we mentioned. The Morefield Gem Mine produces about 80 minerals, which is pretty impressive.
As you can see, there are places where you can find diamonds and call them yours. You just have to search carefully!
How To Find A Lost Diamond?
If you are not someone who found a diamond but someone who lost it, you are undoubtedly worried about where it is at the moment. Although diamonds are not something that often escapes your sight, there are a few tips that can help you find them quickly.
Fluorescence
Unlike some other things that get lost, diamonds give off a fluorescent effect that could help you locate them. Seriously, it can help a lot.
If you happen to lose a diamond in your house, take some UV lighting and start looking. If it is close to you, the diamond will surely make a reflection.
Read Also: Can Ultraviolet (UV) Light Destroy A Diamond?
Hands & Feet
Diamonds are miniature in most cases, and finding them can be a daunting task. You usually can’t pin it down because of its transparency. What can help you is using your bare feet and hands.
Yes, you read that right: Take off your socks, and start feeling the surfaces where you think your diamond could have fallen out.
Proximity
If your diamond fell from some greater height, it probably bounced to the other end of the room or hallway. Do not limit yourself only to the area where it fell because the chances that it is still there are almost 0. Go around the whole room instead.
You might find your diamond in some tucked-away corner of the room, far from the place of the initial fall.
Grease Magnets
It might not sound nice, but magnets literally stick to grease. So, if you lost them in a damp or greasy room, just look a little better – they might be close.
Purse
A woman’s bag is like a goldmine. There are a million things in there, from the essentials to the things that are there “just in case.” Since these bags have a million zippers and belts, it’s easy for a diamond to get stuck.
Maybe you didn’t even lose the diamond; perhaps you just left it in your bag – check again!
Flashlight
If you lost your diamond at night, a UV light would not help. At this point, you need to turn on the flashlight. Check the batteries, turn on the maximum light, and start searching.
It might take longer than you expected, but it’ll be worth it.
Cleaning
You might get lucky and find your diamond while you are cleaning your apartment or house. Many people forget that they have lost something valuable until they decide to clean their room thoroughly, for example.
Professional Help
If none of this helped, then the matter is pretty serious. Since you have not been able to find your diamond with these tips, you may need to hire a professional to look for it.
That brings us back to the previous topic – mislaid property.
The tips we mentioned can help you, but don’t rely on them too much. Diamonds are pretty valuable items – and if you own them, you should keep them somewhere safe.
Diamond Superstitions: Good Or Bad Luck?
There are many beliefs about diamonds, and whether they bring good or bad luck. We’ll take this chance to mention some well-known stories that have been around for centuries.
One of the most famous beliefs related to wearing diamonds around your neck dates back thousands of years and is related to health.
Namely, wearing a diamond around your neck protects you from the Evil Eye.
According to ancient beliefs, the Evil Eye was a curse that brought misfortune, disease, and even death to the one who did not wear diamonds.
One example that proves this belief was respected was rich women in the past who wore a ton of jewelry around their necks.
In Ancient Rome, soldiers wore diamond bracelets when embarking on important journeys and wars. It was believed that this would protect them from harm and death.
In addition to supposedly protecting you against evil, numerous prophets have claimed that diamonds are holders of immense knowledge for thousands of years.
Even today, you can find many ancient books that wrote about how diamonds had special powers and were explored by people of the place where they were found.
Among humorous beliefs regarding diamonds is the one from the Middle Ages, where men put diamonds under their pillows to let them know if their wife was cheating on them.
The last – and perhaps most widespread – belief is that diamonds are indicators of love. For hundreds of years, people believed that giving diamonds to a woman would make her fall in love with you.
Some even believed that diamonds were the tips of Cupid’s arrow. Even today, diamonds are a widespread gift for Valentine’s Day – not to mention those big and shiny engagement rings.
Summing Up
Reading this article, we were able to find out exactly what happens if you find diamonds on your property. And unfortunately, it doesn’t mean you can keep them.
Diamonds are a precious possession, and losing them would probably cause a lot of stress. If you happen to find one, please do the right thing – and try to locate the original owner.
Keeping the diamonds for yourself that you found on your lawn could be a criminal offense. Authorities will treat this either as a felony of lost property or a mislaid property. In any case, neither of these outcomes go in your favor – and you may even expect a fine.
You probably didn’t imagine the story would end that way, huh?
But don’t be sad. There are places you can go in search of diamonds you can keep for yourself. There are mines all over America that allow visitors to explore and keep what they find.
However, the moral of the story is: If it’s not yours, give it back to its rightful owner!
Read Also: Can We Make Diamond At Home?