Summary:

Years ago, I found a diamond-shaped crystal in the parking area at Spiral Jetty and thought it was simply lucky find, relative to the small scrappy chunks I was finding nearby.

It turns out, I had no idea how this place actually worked. I was in the area and wandered here based on a brief magazine article that mentioned gypsum “diamonds” could be found here.

The strange crystal was in fact gypsum, and it’s referred to locally as a “Utah Dirty Diamond”. It turns out, if you dig in the dry lake bed, you’ll find tons of them with enough hard work. And they get much larger than the tiny one I found.

Interestingly there is also some oil that is visible in the area, which is known as Rozel Point. Reading on its history suggests that oil is certainly found here but was difficult to extract commercially, and operations ended in the 1980s. Visible surface oil isn’t something I thought I’d ever come across, so that was a fun surprise.

Note: Do not dig in the Spiral Jetty itself, as it is a protected art installation. You will likely see an area further off to the side with many holes dug in the salt flat when you arrive. Please take a quick moment to fill in the hole you make after you are done so the spot can be dug and enjoyed in the future.

Update: Check for new signage that digging is still allowed when you visit, as there have been rumors of digging ended due to holes not being filled in. (January 2026)