The couple, Scott and Jennifer Freitas, were on a road trip when they decided to stop at the only public diamond-bearing site in the United States where visitors can dig for diamonds and keep what they find. Using equipment rented from a local vendor, they unearthed the gem after just a few buckets of soil.

The discovery was made using tools from Lovejoy Diamond Screens, a business founded during the pandemic by former Crater of Diamonds Visitor Center manager Cyndi Lovejoy and her husband, Gary. The couple now runs their own diamond equipment rental service, offering visitors custom-made sifting boxes, buckets, wagons, and other tools to aid in the search.

Diamonds at the park are rare and unpredictable, with an estimated one to two finds per day on average. Most diamonds discovered at the site are very small — about the size of a match head. In contrast, the 3.36-carat diamond found by the Freitas couple is roughly 15 times larger than the typical find.

Though the official evaluation of the diamond’s quality is still pending, early estimates suggest the gem could be worth $9,000 to $10,000, depending on clarity and colour grading.

The Crater of Diamonds State Park frequently draws amateur prospectors, gem hunters, and tourists from across the country hoping for a once-in-a-lifetime find. Significant discoveries like this often spark local excitement and national attention, putting the small Arkansas town of Murfreesboro in the spotlight.

The park, open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., remains a unique destination where luck, patience, and a little digging can uncover true buried treasure.