MURFREESBORO, Ark. — A seven-year-old from Paragould made a remarkable find at the Crater of Diamonds State Park on September 1.
Aspen Brown discovered a 2.95 carat golden brown diamond, marking the second-largest diamond found at the park this year, according to a post on the Arkansas State Parks Facebook page.
Aspen’s father, Luther Brown, told NEA Report he took his daughter to the park for her birthday. Normally, he said he rents a backyard waterslide but those plans were rained out this year. Aspen loves being outside, digging in the dirt, and finding pretty rocks, so digging for diamonds was the perfect birthday alternative.
“I asked what she wanted to do instead and she picked to go to the diamond mine,” Luther said.
The family was excited when Aspen found the rock, but Luther admitted they didn’t know it was an actual brown diamond until taking it to the discovery building. Once they learned it was a real gemstone, Luther named it “The Aspen Diamond.”
“I thought, ‘How cool is that?'” Luther said. “A brown diamond named Aspen. Because her name is Aspen Brown.”
Brown diamonds are considered among the most common to diamond experts but they’re still valuable. Although each stone is unique, one guide estimates that brown diamonds near the weight of three carats to be valued at around $10,000. The value varies depending on cut, carat, clarity, and color.
Crater of Diamonds State Park, one of the only places in the world where the public can search for real diamonds in their original volcanic source, has attracted visitors globally. The park features a 37-acre field, the eroded surface of a volcanic crater, where visitors can search for a range of rocks, minerals, and gemstones. What you find is yours to keep, and visitors have the option to bring their mining equipment or rent from the park.
Since becoming an Arkansas state park in 1972, over 35,000 diamonds have been discovered by visitors. Among the notable finds is the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam diamond, the largest diamond ever discovered in the U.S.
Find more information from the Arkansas State Parks website here.
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