Murfreesboro, Arkansas -- Scott and Jennifer Freitas of New Port Richey, Florida, visited Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park on July 1 and took home the second-largest diamond of the year.

Having first heard about the park on the Bobby Bones Show, the Freitas planned a several-week road trip through Alabama and Mississippi, with Crater of Diamonds State Park as their bucket list destination. Jennifer was particularly excited, as she holds a degree in geology.

As avid miners of rubies, sapphires, and smoky quartz, the Freitas showed up to the park Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m., ready to dig and full of hope. Once finding a spot to dig, the Freitas dug a few buckets, only digging about 6-8 inches deep.

The couple chose to wet sift, a method that many guests use to search for diamonds. Guests submerge screen sets in water to wash away the soil. Once the soil is removed, the gravel is then separated by size and weight to make diamonds easier to find. Many large diamonds seen in the news are found by surface searching, but only about 10% of diamonds are found that way. Most diamonds found at the park are found by wet sifting.

After sifting through the first couple of buckets, Jennifer noted, “This isn’t like mining for rubies; we may end up walking away empty-handed.”

Luckily, Jennifer didn’t have to wait much longer because on the third bucket is when Scott pulled his screen out of the water and noticed a gorgeous glimmering stone staring back up at him.

Scott called over to Jennifer and said, “Hey, I think I have one!” Jennifer replied with “Oh yeah, right.” But after inspecting the stone, Jennifer also knew they had something special.

The couple finished sifting through the bucket before bringing their find to the park’s rock and mineral identification table. Park staff identified the unmistakable stone as a 3.36-carat white diamond. The beautiful diamond is crystal clear in the center with off-white edges, about the size of a blueberry.

“I was stunned when I saw the pictures of the diamond,” notes Park Superintendent Caleb Howell. “The shape, clarity, color and size made it a beautifully natural gemstone. It was a great reminder of the awesomeness of Crater of Diamonds State Park.”

Many people who find diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park choose to name their gems. The Freitas have chosen to name their diamond, the Dash Diamond, after their beloved family dog.

The Freitas Dash Diamond is the second-largest diamond registered at the park this year, following the 3.81-carat Duke Diamond, also named after a beloved dog. As of this publication, 332 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2025.

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 State Park 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.