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Arizona Diamond Hoax
The Arizona Diamond Hoax was a famous swindle in 1872. Several men claiming to have found diamond fields near the border of southern Arizona convinced many to buy stock in phony diamond mining companies. Still more people traveled to Arizona in search of these diamond fields only to return home empty-handed. Newspapers across the country had immediately denounced the Arizona mines as a hoax because of vague information concerning their whereabouts, despite firm claims to the property's rights by the swindlers. When Gen. George B. McClellan was said to own stock in the diamond mining company, however, many people ignored the newspapers' warnings. McClellan's involvement turned out to be a hoax as well.
Meteoric Diamonds
Although there are no commercial-grade diamonds found in Arizona, there are tiny meteoric diamonds. These diamonds are not more than glittering slivers found embedded in meteoric iron and are worth virtually nothing. They are found near Canyon Diablo in northern Arizona on Meteorite Mountain. Most studies agree that Meteorite Mountain was formed when a giant meteor hit the Earth thousands of years ago. The tiny diamond fragments and iron found on Meteorite Mountain come from the meteorite itself.
Why Doesn't Arizona Have Diamonds?
Diamonds are formed in extremely specific and difficult conditions involving heat and pressure. Carbon must be heated to 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit in order to be hot enough to crystallize. In addition to the heat, carbon also needs sufficient pressure, which means it needs to be at least 90 miles under the surface. Diamonds that are mined have been brought closer to the earth's surface, either by volcanic activity or by water activity and erosion. Therefore, only in areas which had volcanic activity or extreme water erosion is it even possible to find diamonds with our current technology.
Gems Found in Arizona
Although diamonds are not found in Arizona, many other gems and valuable stones are. Topaz, garnet, chalcedony, turquoise, and peridot are just a handful of gems and stones mined in Arizona. Most gems are mined as by-products of mining ore and are not mined for themselves. In fact, most gem finds in Arizona, and the rest of the United States, have been accidental. Rarely are gems of any kind specifically searched for in North America.