The state park said it’s the second-largest diamond that has been registered at the park so far in 2026.
MURFREESBORO, Ark. — A Pennsylvania woman recently had a stroke of luck while she visited the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas.
Keshia Smith began planning her trip to visit the state park more than a year ago. After she lost her son in October and her father in April, she was hoping that the trip would bring her some much-needed comfort.
On her second day at the park, Smith made the memory of a lifetime.
She was digging through the dirt on the south end of the park’s 37.5-acre diamond search area. However, as she dug deeper into the ground, she saw the colors of the soil change from brown to black.
Then, after a few more scoops, she found something shiny in her shovel. She kept digging and after carrying her dirt to the park’s south wash pavilion to wet sift, Smith was showing others the shiny crystal.
“You definitely need to take that up and get it looked at,” someone told her.
Smith was overcome with joy at the idea that she had possibly found a diamond.
She then took her find to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, and staff confirmed that her beautiful, shiny stone was, in fact, a 3.09-carat white diamond.
Smith was once again overjoyed at the news.
“I have felt so much pressure the last six months. In October, I lost my son, and we just buried my dad a week ago. It has been a lot!” she said while looking at her diamond. “I really needed this. I really prayed for this, and I just can’t believe it actually happened.”
She chose to name her gem the Za’Novia Liberty Diamond.
The name Za’Novia represents the names of her two grandchildren, and Liberty represents the significance of finding her diamond during America’s 250th year.
Park staff said that the Za’Novia Liberty Diamond is the second-largest diamond that has been registered at the park so far in 2026.