A 7-Year-Old Girl Found a 2.95-Carat Diamond While Visiting a State Park in Arkansas

When Aspen Brown turned seven years old, she wanted to celebrate her birthday at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. Little did she know that she would receive the birthday gift of a lifetime while exploring the state park’s grounds. According to a news release from the park, Aspen found a 2.95-carat golden brown diamond (which she got to keep!) while visiting the park with her dad and grandmother on September 1, 2023. 

Aspen’s dad, Luther Brown, told the park that his daughter wanted to take a break to cool off. “She got hot and wanted to sit down for a minute, so she walked over to some big rocks by the fence line,” he explains. “Next thing I know, she was running to me, saying ‘Dad! Dad! I found one!’” According to the release, the gem was about the size of a green pea and was located on a pathway along the northeast side of the search area. “There was no skill required for her to find it,” Luther says. “She was just in the right place at the right time.”

After Aspen showed the stone to the park officials, they confirmed that the rock was indeed a diamond. According to Waymon Cox, assistant park superintendent, Aspen found the sparkler in perfect condition. “Aspen’s diamond has a golden-brown color and a sparkling luster,” she describes. “It is a complete crystal with no broken facets and a small crevice on one side, created when the diamond was formed. It’s certainly one of the most beautiful diamonds I’ve seen in recent years.”

Aspen located her diamond, which she named the Aspen Diamond, close to where someone else found the 3.72-carat Caro Avenger in 2019, the release says. The organization notes that the discovery is the second largest found by a guest in 2023, with the first being a 3.29-carat brown diamond another individual found in March 2023. From the beginning of the year until September 1, 2023, the park says 563 diamonds have been found. Per the release, about one or two visitors discover diamonds in the park every day.

Ever since the first farmer identified diamonds on the site, over 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed, per the release. The 37-acre field, where people can hunt for treasure, is the eroded surface of a volcanic crater, according to the park, so it’s loaded with gems, such as diamonds, amethysts, and garnets.