Most tourist attractions leave visitors with photos and memories, but one state park in the United States gives them the chance to find a natural diamond and take it home. The latest success story came when Florida couple Scott and Jennifer Freitas discovered a 3.36-carat white diamond, now named the Dash Diamond, during a trip to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. A few weeks ago, visitor Keshia Smith of Pennsylvania unearthed a 3.09-carat white diamond. These remarkable discoveries are just the latest examples of why the park has become one of America’s most unusual tourist attractions, where visitors search for natural diamonds and keep what they find for themselves.
One of its kind park
Located in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only public diamond-bearing site in the world where visitors can search for natural diamonds in their original volcanic source and legally keep any gems discovered. Unlike traditional mines, the park operates under a unique “finders keepers” policy, allowing anyone to take home any diamonds, gems or minerals they discover.Rather than simply viewing exhibits, visitors can spend the day digging, surface exploring, or wet cleaning the 37-acre plowed discovery area. The park rents equipment such as shovels, buckets, and screens for beginners, while experienced visitors are welcome to bring their own equipment. Diamond Discovery Center staff also identify and register each suspected diamond for free, helping visitors distinguish genuine gems from ordinary rocks. On average, visitors discover about two diamonds each day, although thousands of other minerals are also found throughout the year, including amethyst, agate, jasper, and garnet.
How were the first diamonds found there?
The story begins in 1906 when local farmer John Huddleston found two unusual glowing stones on his property while searching for a better farming site. The stones were later identified as diamonds, sparking a wave of excitement that became known as Arkansas’s “diamond fever”. Prospectors, investors and mining companies soon flocked to the area, hoping to discover commercially viable diamond deposits.Although several mining companies attempted to extract diamonds commercially over the following decades, none managed to maintain profitable operations. Mining the volcanic soil on a large scale proved difficult and ownership of the property changed hands several times. In 1972, the State of Arkansas purchased the site and turned it into Crater of Diamonds State Park, giving the public a rare opportunity to discover natural diamonds themselves rather than abandon the land to commercial mining.
The 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 extracted from the site since the first discovery in 1906. Park officials estimate that visitors continue to find more than 600 diamonds each year, with discoveries ranging from tiny white crystals to multi-carat gems.The diamond discovery area covers approximately 37 acres, making it one of very few places in the world where members of the public can discover naturally occurring diamonds in their original volcanic source. The area is located above a destroyed volcanic pipe known as the Prairie Creek Lamproite, which brought diamonds from the depths of the earth millions of years ago.The largest diamond ever discovered in the United States also came from this site. This rough stone, known as the Uncle Sam Diamond, weighed 40.23 carats when it was found in 1924. After being cut into a 12.42-carat emerald-shaped gemstone, it became part of the mineral and gemstone collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, where it remains today.
Why do visitors still go?
The biggest attraction of the park is its simple “explorers keepers” policy. Every diamond, gemstone or mineral discovered by visitors legally belongs to the person who found it, regardless of its size or value. That rule has turned the park into a bucket-list destination for amateur treasure hunters, geology enthusiasts and families from around the world.Guests can search using several methods, including surface searching, dry sorting and wet sorting, the latter being one of the most successful techniques for recovering diamonds as it separates the heavier material from the lighter soil. After a potential diamond is found, park geologists examine the stone and officially register worthy finds before visitors can take them home.Although there is no guarantee of finding a diamond, the chances are what keeps tourists coming back year after year. Many people come without any mining experience, yet the park regularly makes notable discoveries by tourists, lending credence to the idea that anyone can be the next person to discover a valuable gem. Weather conditions, especially heavy rain, often improve the chances of finding diamonds as the rain washes away the soil and brings the stones closer to the surface.
Famous diamonds found in the park
Crater of Diamonds State Park has produced many famous gems over the last century, many of which have become part of American gem history.The Uncle Sam Diamond is the largest diamond ever found in the United States. The Star of Arkansas, discovered in 1956, weighed 15.33 carats before being cut into a 7.54-carat gem. The Amarillo Starlight, discovered by a visitor from Texas in 1975, weighed 16.37 carats and was later turned into a 7.54-carat marquise-cut diamond, becoming the largest diamond found by a visitor since the site became a state park.Another famous find is the Esperanza Diamond, an 8.52-carat rough white diamond found by Colorado visitor Frenchy Bordelon in 2015. After expertly cutting and polishing, it became a flawless 4.6 carat gem and is considered one of the finest diamonds ever recovered from the park. Another iconic find is the Strawn-Wagner Diamond, discovered in 1990. Although this rough stone weighed only 3.03 carats, it held the rare distinction of being classified as having an ideal cut, D-color and flawless, making it one of the most perfect diamonds in the world.Recently, visitors have continued to make headlines. Pennsylvania resident Keshia Smith discovered the 3.09-carat Za’Novia Liberty Diamond in May 2026, while Florida couple Scott and Jennifer Freitas found the 3.36-carat Dash Diamond in July 2026, now the second-largest diamond registered in the park this year. According to the latest park update, 332 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2026, proving that remarkable discoveries are still being made by ordinary visitors each year.