From Dirt to Dazzle: Visitor Unearths Stunning 2.30-Carat Diamond at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds!

On Friday, September 27, a visitor at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park made an exciting discovery, unearthing a 2.30-carat white diamond in the park’s 37.5-acre diamond search area. This find marks the third diamond over two carats registered this year and the second-largest diamond discovery in 2024.

The guest, eager to start the day, arrived at the park when it opened at 8 a.m. After renting a basic kit from the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, they began wet sifting, where diamond-bearing gravel is washed through screens to separate dirt. After several hours of searching without success, the visitor switched to surface searching, remarking, “If I find a diamond today, it will probably be right here on the surface.”

Crater of Diamonds State Park is known for large diamonds being found on the surface. Assistant Park Superintendent Waymon Cox says the park’s soil is periodically plowed to expose diamond-bearing material and encourage natural erosion. “As rain falls on the field, it washes away the dirt and uncovers heavy rocks, minerals, and diamonds near the surface,” Cox explained.

On September 27, conditions were ideal for surface searching. The field had been recently plowed and received rainfall just two days earlier, while clear skies and sunlight created perfect conditions for spotting a diamond’s sparkle. While walking west of the park’s North Wash pavilion, the visitor noticed something gleaming on the ground. “From a distance, it shined so brightly,” they said, initially mistaking it for a piece of trash or an insect due to its unusual sparkle.

Upon closer inspection, they realized they had found a diamond. The gem was brought to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, where Park Interpreter Sarah Reap confirmed it was a 2.30-carat diamond. “Even after a few years of working here, I am still surprised when a finder pulls a large diamond out of their pocket so nonchalantly,” Reap remarked.

The diamond, described as a silvery-white gem with a round, pitted surface, is roughly the size of a pencil eraser. Although it appears brown at first glance, closer inspection reveals multiple inclusions affecting how light passes through the stone. While the diamond’s center looks dark brown, its outer layer is clear white, a contrast often seen in natural diamonds with structural imperfections.

White diamonds, like this one, are typically closer to a pure carbon crystal, while brown diamonds at the park are caused by plastic deformation, which gives them their color. Almost all diamonds found naturally have inclusions that influence their appearance.

So far in 2024, 548 diamonds weighing over 82 carats have been registered at the park, with an average of one to two diamonds found each day.