Family Discovers a Large Brown Diamond in Arkansas Park

A family exploring the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas unearthed a nearly 3-carat brown diamond, as confirmed by park officials.

Raynae Madison, along with her family, embarked on a trip from Oklahoma to celebrate her nephew's birthday in Arkansas. During their visit, they purchased digging tools to search for treasures within the park. They began searching near Prospector Trailhead, where Madison came across an intriguing stone after sifting through several buckets of earth in the 37.5-acre area designated for diamond hunting.

"When I first saw it, I thought the stone was fascinating but doubted whether it could be a diamond because of its size," Madison said.

The family proceeded to the Diamond Discovery Center, where staff confirmed the unusual find as a chocolate-hued diamond featuring unique inclusions.

Emma O'Neal, a Park Interpreter at the state park, explained that brown diamonds form through a process known as plastic deformation, which results in structural imperfections as the diamond develops or shifts in magma. These flaws bend light in a way that makes the diamond appear brown.

In honor of her nephew, Madison named their discovery the William Diamond. The park staff weighed the gem at 2.79 carats, marking it as the third-largest diamond recorded in the park for the year, surpassing a 2.30-carat find in late July.

Just recently, in May, a 3.81-carat brown diamond known as the Duke Diamond was found at the park.

Located in the rural southwest of Arkansas, the expansive 800-acre park attracts numerous visitors eager to search for diamonds. The park allows individuals to search a volcanic crater that has produced over 75,000 diamonds since its first discovery by farmer John Huddleston in 1906. It became a state park in 1972.