Arkansas Man Finds 9 Carat Diamond

arkansasstateparks.com

A bank manager discovered a 9.07-carat diamond at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in southwestern Arkansas after thinking the precious gem was a piece of glass.

33-year-old Kevin Kinard and his friends traveled to the park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, on Labor Day to enjoy the outdoors. The state park offers 37.5 acres of land for “diamond digging” where park visitors can sift through soil on what is the world’s eighth-largest diamond-bearing volcanic crater.

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“I only wet sifted for about ten minutes before I started walking up and down the plowed rows. It kind of looked interesting and shiny, so I put it in my bag and kept searching,” Kinard told Today. “I just thought it might’ve been glass.”

Several hours later, Kinard said he and his friends stopped by the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, where park workers identify visitor findings and register diamonds. No matter the size, park rules state that if you find a diamond it’s yours to keep.

“I almost didn’t have them check my finds, because I didn’t think I had found anything,” Kinard went on to say. “My friend had hers checked, though, so I went ahead and had them check mine, too.”

Upon having his finds assessed, an employee informed Kinard he had discovered the second-largest ever found at the park after a 16-carat diamond in 1975.

According to DiamondRegistry.com the total weight of a 9 carat diamond averages 1.8 grams and the prices per carat range from $13,689 to $200,535.

Arkansas State Parks Director Grady Spann said in a statement:

“This latest diamond find is a testament to maintaining the diamond search area with a focus on sustaining the resource at Crater of Diamonds State Park, as well as creating the opportunity to find a diamond and make lifetime memories for all of our guests.”

For more information on diamond prospecting at the Crater of Diamonds State Park, watch the video below.