Family Discovers 2.79-Carat Diamond Using Dollar Store Tools At Arkansas Park

Raynae Madison of Cookson, Oklahoma, found a 2.79-carat chocolate brown diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, on September 13th. Madison and her family were celebrating her nephew’s birthday when they visited the park’s 37.5-acre diamond search area. Using beach digging tools and sand sifters purchased at a dollar store, the family worked near Prospector Trailhead when Madison spotted a shiny oblong stone. “At first I thought it looked really neat, but I wasn’t sure what it was,” Madison told park officials. “I honestly thought it was too big to be a diamond!” Staff at the park’s Diamond Discovery Center confirmed the discovery. Madison named it the William Diamond after her nephew. The find ranks as 2025’s third-largest diamond at the park, where 403 diamonds have been registered this year. (Story URL)