Visitors have discovered more than 37,000 diamonds at this US park since 1972 and can keep every gem they find | World News
Most tourist attractions leave visitors with photos and memories, but one state park in the U.S. gives them the chance to discover a natural diamond and take it home. The latest success story is that of Florida couple Scott and Jennifer Freitas, who discovered a 3.36-carat white diamond, now named the Dash Diamond, while visiting Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park. Just a few weeks ago, Pennsylvania tourist Keshia Smith discovered a 3.09-carat white diamond. These extraordinary finds are just the latest example of the park becoming one of the most unusual tourist attractions in the United States, where visitors can hunt for natural diamonds and keep whatever they find.
The only park of its kind
Crater of Diamonds State Park, located in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, is the world’s only public diamond source where visitors can search for natural diamonds of pristine volcanic origin and legally keep any gems they find. Unlike traditional mines, the park operates under a unique “Finder Manager” policy, allowing anyone to take home any diamond, gemstone or mineral they find.Rather than simply viewing the exhibits, visitors can spend a day digging, surface searching or wet screening on the 37 acres of plowed search grounds. The park rents tools such as shovels, buckets and screens for beginners, and experienced visitors are welcome to bring their own equipment. Diamond Discovery Center staff also identify and register every suspect diamond free of charge, helping visitors distinguish real gems from ordinary rocks. On average, visitors will find about two diamonds per day, although thousands of other minerals are also found throughout the year, including amethyst, agate, jasper and garnet.
How diamonds were first discovered there
The story begins in 1906 when local farmer John Huddleston discovered two unusual sparkling stones on his land while searching for better farmland. The stones were later identified as diamonds, sparking a wave of excitement known as Arkansas’ “diamond rush.” Prospectors, investors, and mining companies soon flocked to the area in hopes of discovering commercially viable diamond deposits.Although several mining companies attempted to mine diamonds commercially over the next few decades, none were able to maintain profitable operations. Volcanic soil has proven difficult to mine on a large scale, and property ownership has changed hands several times. In 1972, the state of Arkansas purchased the site and transformed it into the Crater of Diamonds State Park, giving the public a rare opportunity to search for natural diamonds themselves rather than leaving the land to commercial mining.
Numbers that make it special
Since becoming a state park in 1972, visitors have registered more than 37,377 diamonds. Looking back, more than 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed from the site since their first discovery in 1906. Park officials estimate that visitors continue to discover more than 600 diamonds each year, including many finds ranging from tiny white crystals to multi-carat stones.The diamond search area covers approximately 37 acres and is one of the few places in the world where the public can search for natural diamonds from pristine volcanic sources. The mine sits atop an eroded volcanic tube known as the Prairie Creek mine, which brought diamonds from deep within the Earth’s mantle millions of years ago.The largest diamond ever found in the United States also came from here. Known as the “Uncle Sam Diamond,” the rough stone weighed 40.23 carats when it was discovered in 1924. After being cut into a 12.42-carat emerald-shaped stone, it became part of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History’s Mineral and Gem Collection, where it remains today.
Why tourists still go
The park’s biggest draw is its simple “finders be keepers” policy. Every diamond, gem or mineral discovered by a visitor legally belongs to the finder, regardless of size or value. This rule has made the park a bucket list destination for amateur treasure hunters, geology enthusiasts, and families from all over the world.Guests can search using a variety of methods, including surface searching, dry sifting, and wet sifting, with the latter being one of the most successful techniques for recovering diamonds because it separates heavier material from lighter soil. After a potential diamond is discovered, park geologists examine the stone and officially register a qualifying find, which visitors then take home.While there’s no guarantee of finding a diamond, the possibility keeps visitors coming back year after year. Many have no mining experience at all, but the park regularly allows visitors to make spectacular discoveries, reinforcing the idea that anyone can be the next to discover a valuable gem. Weather conditions, especially heavy rain, often improve the chances of finding a diamond because rainfall washes away soil and exposes stones closer to the surface.
Famous diamonds found in the park
Crater of Diamonds State Park has produced a variety of famous gemstones over the past century, many of which have become part of America’s gemstone history.The Uncle Sam Diamond remains the largest diamond ever discovered in the United States. The Star of Arkansas was discovered in 1956 and weighed 15.33 carats before being cut into a 7.54 carat stone. The Amarillo Star Diamond was discovered by a Texas tourist in 1975. It weighed 16.37 carats and was later polished into a 7.54-carat marquise-cut diamond, making it the largest diamond discovered by a visitor since the site became a state park.Another famous discovery is the Esperanza Diamond, an 8.52-carat white rough diamond discovered in 2015 by Colorado tourist Frenchie Bordelon. Expertly cut and polished, it became a flawless 4.6-carat stone that is considered one of the finest diamonds ever discovered in the park. Another landmark discovery was the Strawn-Wagner diamond discovered in 1990. Although the rough stone only weighed 3.03 carats, it received the rare distinction of being rated as an ideal cut, D color, and flawless diamond, making it one of the most perfect diamonds in the world.Tourists continue to make headlines lately. Pennsylvania resident Keshia Smith discovered the 3.09-carat Za’Novia Liberty Diamond in May 2026, while Florida couple Scott and Jennifer Freitas discovered the 3.36-carat Dash Diamond in July 2026, the second-largest diamond registered in the park this year. As of the latest park update, 332 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2026, proving that ordinary visitors still make extraordinary discoveries every year.
