Local News
A 2.30-carat white diamond is discovered by a visitor at Crater of Diamonds State Park
Little Rock, Arkansas – When a 2.30-carat white diamond was discovered in September in the park’s diamond search area, a visitor to Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park was taken aback!
The diamond, which was discovered on Friday, September 27, is the second largest diamond to be documented at the park in 2024 and the third diamond to weigh more than two carats.
The visitors leased a basic kit from the Diamond Discovery Center and started the day wet sifting in an attempt to find gems, according to park officials.
The visitors opted to turn to surface searches after wet sifting for hours without any luck.
Many of the largest diamonds in the park, according to park officials, are actually located on the surface.
Assistant Park Superintendent Waymon Cox explained, “We plow the search area periodically to loosen the diamond-bearing soil and promote natural erosion.” “Heavy rocks, minerals, and diamonds near the surface are revealed as rain washes away the dirt in the field.”
According to park officials, the weather on September 27 was “ideal” for surface searching because the search area had just been plowed and there had been rainfall two days earlier. It was also a sunny day, which enhanced the visibility of the diamonds.
The visitors circled the park until they came to a point directly west of the North Wash pavilion, which was covered. They saw something shimmering out of the ground at that point.
The guests said, “It shone so clearly from a distance.” “I assumed it was either a bug or a piece of trash because it was so much more shiny than anything else in the area.”
The guests realized as soon as they walked over that it wasn’t trash but rather something much more expensive.
After pocketing the stone, they proceeded to the Rock and Mineral Identification Counter to have it examined.
“Even after working here for a few years, I’m still shocked when a finder casually takes a big diamond out of their pocket.” Sarah Reap, a park interpreter, stated.
The guest was later informed by Reap that they had discovered a diamond that weighed more than two carats.
Over 82 carats of diamonds have been registered by park visitors thus far in 2024, totaling 548. Park officials estimate that between one and two diamonds are unearthed per day on average.
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