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Diamonds Found in Arkansas

In Murfreesboro, Arkansas, at the Crater of Diamonds State Park, visitors who find diamonds are allowed to keep what they find. This Arkansas state park is the only diamond mine in the United States where everyday people can freely hunt for diamonds without giving them back. Over the last century, there have been many notable and famous North American finds. In fact, some of those finds were discovered by ordinary people who were not lifelong or avid diamond hunters. The three most famous discoveries were the Strawn-Wagner Diamond, Uncle Sam Diamond and Kahn Canary Diamond.

Strawn-Wagner Diamond
- Shirley Strawn of Murfreesboro, Arkansas, found a 3.03 carat weight diamond at the Crater of Diamonds in 1990. She held the diamond for many years until 1997 when it received its cutting. The rough, original find became perfected into a beautiful, round 1.09 carat diamond. Its brilliant shape is often called the "ideal cut." Lazare Kaplan International of New York performed the diamond cutting, which cut it to allow maximum amounts of light to pass through every facet. In 1998, the American Gem Society certified the diamond and remarked on how rare the diamond truly was.
Uncle Sam Diamond
- The Uncle Sam Diamond is most likely the largest diamond discovery at the Crater of Diamonds State Park. W.O. Basham discovered this white diamond in 1924 when it weighed an original 40.23 carats rough, uncut. Since Basham was known by the nickname "Uncle Sam," people started calling it the Uncle Sam Diamond after him. This white diamond received two cuttings over the years. It was the second cutting that produced a 12.42 carat emerald-cut gem.
Kahn Canary Diamond
- The Kahn Canary Diamond might be one of the more famous diamond finds to come out of Arkansas. George Stepp of Carthage, Arkansas, discovered the precious stone in 1977. Later on, Stan Kahn of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, purchased the yellow-tinted or canary diamond for his private collection. It was left uncut to show off its remarkable natural beauty. It weighs 4.25 carats and was worn twice by former First Lady Hillary Clinton. She wore it for both the 1993 and 1997 Presidential Inaugural galas.

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