Key Highlights
- Oklahoma family uncovers 2.79-carat brown diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park.
- The rare find, named “William Diamond”, was discovered on September 13.
- Park has already registered 403 diamonds in 2025, including four over two carats.
- Brown diamonds from this site get their color from structural changes deep within the earth.
- Crater of Diamonds is among the only public diamond fields in the world.
What began as a casual family trip turned into a once-in-a-lifetime moment when an Oklahoma family uncovered a sparkling 2.79-carat brown diamond at Arkansas’ famous Crater of Diamonds State Park earlier this month.
On September 13, Raynae Madison and her family from Cookson, Oklahoma, arrived at the park with basic digging tools, including sand sifters and a small beach kit. While exploring near the Prospector Trailhead within the 37.5-acre search field, Madison spotted a shiny, unusual stone. Park officials later confirmed it to be a brown diamond — among the larger finds reported in 2025.
The gem, now named the “William Diamond” in honor of Madison’s nephew’s birthday, holds unique significance for the family.
The staff at the park’s Diamond Discovery Center identified the stone as a 2.79-carat chocolate brown diamond.
“Brown diamonds from the Crater occur due to a process called plastic deformation, which creates structural defects during a diamond’s formation or movement in magma,” explained Emma O’Neal, Park Interpreter at Crater of Diamonds State Park. “These defects reflect red and green light, combining to make the diamond appear brown.”
To put its rarity into perspective, a natural 2.79-carat oval diamond can range in value from $11,500 to $106,000, depending on factors such as color and clarity, according to diamond comparison site StoneAlgo.
Although Arkansas State Parks does not provide official appraisals or disclose the market value of discovered gems, this diamond adds to the remarkable tally of over 400 diamonds already registered at the park in 2025, including four weighing more than two carats.
As one of the world’s only public-access diamond-bearing sites, the Crater of Diamonds State Park continues to attract gem enthusiasts, adventurers, and families seeking rare treasures in their natural volcanic setting.
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