Arizona father & son find 2-carat stone during boys trip to Crater of Diamonds State Park

PIKE COUNTY, Ark. – A boys’ trip being made by a father and son from Arizona led to the discovery of the second-largest stone found at the Crater of Diamonds State Park so far in 2024.

Officials with Arkansas State Parks said that Will and Marshall Barnett of Buckeye, Arizona, were on a “boys’ week” road trip in late July that included a stop to see some Arkansas relatives. An uncle, who himself worked at another state park, told the pair about the Murfreesboro site, so they decided to visit and try their luck.

The Barnetts got to the park on July 27 and dug up a few of bucketfuls of soil. When they stopped by the wash pavilion to sift through the dirt, the elder Barnett spotted something glimmering in his sifting screen.

Will Barnett told park staff that he called to his son, “Hey Marshall, you should take a look at this!” before the boy picked out the stone to show another nearby miner.

The duo headed to Diamond Discovery Center at the park, where the staff confirmed their big find.

Park superintendent Caleb Howell noted it was easy to pick out who had made the discovery.

“While examining the diamond, I looked out the office window and asked Mrs. Keys who the finders were, then said, ‘Wait, let me guess: they’re the ones shaking with excitement!’” Howell said.

“You could tell they knew they had found something special from the smiles on their faces,” park interpreter Ashlyn Keys added.

Park officials said the two-carat diamond is rectangular in shape, about the size of a pencil eraser, with a light brown color resembling iced tea. The park visitors who uncover the stones get to name them, with the Barnetts deciding on “Minor Find” since Will often says his son Marshall is a “minor-miner.”

According to state park officials, “Minor Find” is the 412 ^th diamond registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2024 and the 36,500th diamond registered since the park opened in 1972.

Officials noted that visitors find one or two diamonds every day, on average, but, as Will said, fun can be had even without a discovery.

“It’s worth looking, even if you don’t find a diamond!” he told staff.

For more information on the park, including directions and a list of activities, head to ArkansasStateParks.com.

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