Those who visit Crater of Diamonds can “search a 37-acre field" for various rocks, minerals and gemstones to take home with them Arkansas State Parks (3) Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas is a treasure trove of jewels. Located in Murfreesboro, the state park offers a “one-of-a-kind experience” to those looking to dig up their own diamonds, as noted on its . Those who visit Crater of Diamonds can “search a 37-acre field,” which happens to be “the eroded surface of a volcanic crater,” for various rocks, minerals and gemstones that visitors can take home with them.
Here’s a look at some of the most impressive discoveries made at the state park over the last few years. Josh Lanik, a 36-year-old teacher from Hebron, Nebraska, discovered a near the southwest edge of Crater of Diamonds State Park while on a family vacation in July 2019. Lanik found the diamond after about two hours of searching, said in a press release at the time.
“It was blatantly obvious there was something different about it,” Lanik said. “I saw the shine, and when I picked it up and rolled it in my hand, I noticed there weren’t any sharp edges.” The diamond was about the size of a jellybean and was a dark brown color “similar to brandy,” according to Park Interpreter Waymon Cox.
He believed the diamond was one of many unearthed after about 14 inches of rain fell in the area about a week prior. Related: The diamond Kevin Kinard found on Labor Day in 2020 is the in the park's history. The 33-year-old originally thought the object he found was a piece of glass — but it was actually a 9.
07-carat diamond, according to Arkansas State Parks. This was the first time Kinard had ever found a diamond after regularly visiting the park since he first went there on a second-grade field trip. “I would have never in a million years dreamed that I had found anything,” Kinard said at the time.
Related: Christian Liden, 26, found a while searching for engagement ring materials at the state park. The Washington man began dreaming of creating his own engagement ring for his bride-to-be in eighth grade, according to the . Related: "I saw it shining as soon as I turned the screen over and immediately knew it was a diamond," Liden said at the time.
"I was shaking so bad, I asked my buddy to grab it out of the gravel for me!" Linden also spent five years panning for gold, and eventually found enough to make the band of the ring. Noreen Wredberg, of Granite Bay, Calif., found a while walking through the Crater of Diamonds State Park with her husband Michael in September 2021.
said the couple, who retired in 2011, spotted the “sparkling gem on top of the ground” and brought it to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center for identification. "I didn't know it was a diamond then, but it was clean and shiny, so I picked it up," Noreen said at the time. "We really didn't think we would find one, let alone something that big!" Related: David Anderson, who lives in Murfreesboro, found a while wet-sifting soil in March 2023.
The diamond was the largest found at the park since the 4.38-carat gem was found in September 2021, per Arkansas State Parks. "At first I thought it was quartz but wondered why it was so shiny," he said at the time.
"Once I picked it up, I realized it was a diamond!" Anderson also previously found a 3.83-carat yellow diamond in December 2011 and a 6.19-carat white diamond in April 2014, the park said.
Related: A second Arkansas man nearly mistook a diamond for a piece of glass in the spring of 2023. This time, the diamond was in size. Jerry Evans found the diamond of visiting Crater of Diamonds State Park with his girlfriend, according to a news release.
Arkansas.gov He later sent the stone to the Gemological Institute of America for identification, and learned it was more than just glass. Cox said Evans’ diamond was “a complete crystal.
” “When they called and told me it was real, I was tickled to death,” Evans said at the time. Related: Aspen Brown, a 7-year-old girl from Paragould, found a while celebrating her birthday at the park with her family on Sept. 1, said.
The girl was resting with her father and grandmother when she made the stunning discovery, according to . Arkansas State Parks “She got hot and wanted to sit down for a minute, so she walked over to some big rocks by the fence line,” Aspen’s father Luther Brown told the outlet. “Next thing I know, she was running to me, saying ‘Dad! Dad! I found one.
’ ” Cox told KAIT the diamond was “a complete crystal,” adding, “It’s certainly one of the most beautiful diamonds I’ve seen in recent years.” Related: Julien Navas, who lives in Paris, found a in early 2024. He spent hours searching through muddy conditions, caused by rain days earlier, before he found the gumdrop-shaped diamond.
The diamond was the eighth-largest registered at the park since 1972. Arkansas State Parks Navas opted to name it the “Carine Diamond,” after his fiancée, and also plans to have the stone cut into two pieces: one for his partner and one for his daughter. “It is a magical place, where the dream of finding a diamond can come true!" he said.
"It was a real great adventure." Will and Marshall Barnett, of Arizona, were visiting Crater of Diamonds State Park on July 27, 2024 while on a “boys’ week” road trip when they found a while sifting through dirt. The diamond is “about the size of a pencil eraser” and is “light brown color resembling iced tea.
” It is the second-largest found at the park this year. Crater of Diamonds State Park Di “You could tell they knew they had found something special from the smiles on their faces,” said Park Interpreter Ashlyn Keys in a statement. Not only was this the 412th diamond registered at ASP this year, it was also the 36,500th diamond registered since Crater of Diamonds became a state park in 1972.
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