There is nothing better than memories made while spending quality time with family. For Will and Marshall Barnett, of Buckeye, AZ, a recent father-and-son trip to Arkansas’ famous Crater of Diamonds State Park resulted in the story of a lifetime and the second-largest diamond registered so far this year.
The Barnetts set out on a “boys’ week” road trip from their home in late July, their main goal to visit family and have fun along the way. After learning about the Crater of Diamonds State Park from his uncle, who worked as a park interpreter at another Arkansas State Park, Will decided to stop by Arkansas’ diamond site to try their luck at finding a genuine diamond.
Will and Marshall arrived at the park on the morning of July 27, buckets and shovels in-hand. After renting screens at the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, the two entered the park’s 37.5-acre diamond search area, a plowed field atop the eroded surface of an ancient, diamond-bearing volcano, to start digging. After filling a few buckets with diamond-bearing soil, they headed to the park’s south wash pavilion to wet sift their dirt.
“Wet sifting is one of the most effective methods to search for diamonds,” said Park Interpreter Ashlyn Keys. “The search area has two wash pavilions, with water troughs and tables, for visitors to wet sift. Using screens to separate dirt from the gravel allows you to go through more material in less time, giving a better chance of finding a diamond.”
While sifting, Will spotted a promising, glimmering gem at the bottom of his screen. He quickly called over his son, saying, “Hey Marshall, you should take a look at this!” Marshall excitedly picked out the large stone before asking an experienced miner nearby if they had just found a diamond.
Early that afternoon, the Barnetts brought their find to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, where staff confirmed that it was a large diamond. Park Superintendent Caleb Howell said, “While examining the diamond, I looked out the office window and asked Mrs. Keys who the finders were, then said, ‘Wait, let me guess: they’re the ones shaking with excitement!’”
“You could tell they knew they had found something special from the smiles on their faces,” said Keys.
The beautiful two-carat diamond is rectangular in shape, about the size of a pencil eraser, with a light brown color resembling iced tea. “The first thing I noticed was two large facets that really shined when the light hit them just right,” Howell said.
Many visitors choose to name the diamonds they find at Crater of Diamonds State Park. As frequent gold panners, Will and Marshall came up with the name “Minor Find,” as Will often calls his son a “minor-miner.” Will says of their visit, “It’s worth looking, even if you don’t find a diamond!”
The “Minor Find” is the 412th diamond registered at the park this year and the 36,500th diamond registered since Crater of Diamonds became an Arkansas State Park in 1972. On average, park visitors find one or two diamonds each day.
Quick Facts about Crater of Diamonds State Park:
Diamonds come in all colors of the rainbow. The three most common colors found at Crater of Diamonds State Park are white, brown and yellow, in that order.
In total, over 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed at the Crater of Diamonds since the first diamonds were discovered in 1906 by John Huddleston, a farmer who owned the land long before it became an Arkansas State Park in 1972.
The largest diamond ever discovered in the United States was unearthed in 1924 during an early mining operation on the land that later became Crater of Diamonds State Park. Named the Uncle Sam, this white diamond with a pink cast weighed 40.23 carats. It was later cut into a 12.42-carat emerald shape. The Uncle Sam is now part of the Smithsonian’s mineral and gem collection and can be seen at the National Museum of Natural History.
Another well-known diamond from the park is the Strawn-Wagner. Found in 1990 by Murfreesboro resident Shirley Strawn, this 3.03-carat white gem was cut into a round brilliant shape weighing 1.09 carats. It graded as ideal cut, D-colorless and flawless and was set in a platinum and 24-carat gold ring. In 1998, the state of Arkansas purchased this diamond for $34,700 in donations and placed it on permanent display at the park visitor center.
Crater of Diamonds State Park
Located on Arkansas Highway 301 in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, Crater of Diamonds State Park is one of the only places in the world where the public can search for real diamonds in their original volcanic source. The park is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve afternoon and Christmas Day).
Arkansas State Parks
Arkansas State Parks is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. Arkansas state parks and museums cover 55,006 acres of forest, wetlands, fish and wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation facilities, and unique historic and cultural resources. Established in 1923, Arkansas State Parks preserve special places for future generations, provide quality recreation and education opportunities, enhance the state’s economy through tourism and provide leadership in resource conservation. Connect with ASP on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and visit ArkansasStateParks.com and ArkansasStateParks.com/media to learn more.
Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism
The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism protects and promotes our state’s natural, cultural and historic assets, contributing to a thriving economy and high quality of life. It is made up of three divisions: Arkansas State Parks, Arkansas Heritage and Arkansas Tourism.
