Florida Couple Finds 3.36-Carat Diamond at Arkansas Crater of Diamonds State Park
A remarkable 3.36-carat white diamond was discovered at Arkansas’s Crater of Diamonds State Park, making it the second-largest find of 2025. Named the “Dash Diamond” by its finders, this blueberry-sized gem features a crystal-clear center with soft off-white edges, exemplifying the unique beauty and rarity that attract visitors to the world’s only public diamond mine.
Diamond Description and Discovery Method
The Dash Diamond weighs 3.36 carats and is classified as white, with exceptional clarity in its core and subtle off-white hues along the edges. Roughly the size of a blueberry, it exemplifies the high-quality gems occasionally unearthed at the park. Park Superintendent Caleb Howell described it as "a beautifully natural gemstone," noting, "I was stunned when I saw the pictures. The shape, clarity, color, and size made it a great reminder of the awesomeness of Crater of Diamonds State Park."
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| Florida couple unearths 3.36-carat white diamond (Dash Diamond) at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds. |
The diamond was found using the wet sifting technique, a method that accounts for about 90% of discoveries at the park. This involves digging shallowly (in this case, 6–8 inches deep) into the 37.5-acre plowed search field, then submerging screens in water to wash away soil and separate gravel by size and weight. Surface finds make up only around 10% of recoveries, making wet sifting essential for uncovering hidden treasures like this one. It emerged on the third bucket of gravel processed that day, spotted as a brilliant glimmer in the water.
Estimated Value and Rarity
Local expert Gary Lovejoy, who runs a tool rental service at the park, estimated the Dash Diamond's value at $9,000 to $10,000, subject to professional appraisal for cut, clarity, and color. He called it "kind of a unicorn" due to its impressive size and natural appeal. Typical diamonds found at the park are about the size of a match head, making this gem approximately 15 times larger than average. Raw diamonds from the site vary in worth, but larger, clearer specimens like the Dash often fetch thousands after cutting and polishing.
The diamond's name honors the finders' family dog, Dash, following a park tradition where notable gems are personalized. This mirrors the year's largest find, the 3.81-carat brown "Duke Diamond," also named after a pet and discovered in May 2025.
Crater of Diamonds State Park: Home to Extraordinary Finds
Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, is North America's sole public diamond-producing site, where visitors pay a modest entry fee (around $15 for adults in 2025) to search and keep any gems they find. Established as a state park in 1972, the site traces its diamond history to 1906, when farmer John Huddleston first unearthed crystals on his land. Since then, over 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed, primarily in white, brown, and yellow varieties.
The park averages 1–2 diamond discoveries daily, with success odds around 1 in 250–300 visitors. As of August 12, 2025, approximately 400 diamonds have been registered for the year, with the Dash Diamond standing out for its size and quality. For context, it ranks below the park's all-time largest find, the 40.23-carat white Uncle Sam Diamond from 1924, which was cut into a 12.42-carat emerald-cut gem now at the Smithsonian. Another notable example is the 3.03-carat white Strawn-Wagner Diamond from 1990, cut into a flawless 1.09-carat round brilliant and displayed at the park's visitor center.
The Only Diamond Mine In the World Where You Can Be the Miner
Read also:
Where to Find Crystals in Arkansas
Coleman Mine Arkansas: Dig Your Own Quartz Crystals
