Man Finds 2.12-carat Diamond on Vacation at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds Park

The Lanik Family Diamond (Photo Crater of Diamonds State Park)

The gem-hunting novices were “over” their search at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park after a hot morning with nothing to show buts rocks and glass, Lanik told The Washington Post. Everyone thought it was time for lunch.

A teacher on a family vacation at a state park in Arkansas unearthed the largest diamond found at the popular diamond-bearing siteso far this year.

Josh Lanik, 36, of Nebraska and his family were searching for gems near the southwest edge of the Crater of Diamonds State Park, according to a news release from the park. After about two hours, he spotted something unique.

“It was blatantly obvious there was something different about it. I saw the shine, and when I picked it up and rolled it in my hand, I noticed there weren’t any sharp edges," he said in a statement.
He and his wife took the gem along with several other rocks and minerals to be identified by park officials. A park employee put his brandy-colored gem into a pill bottle and took it to a back office.

The diamond was determined to weigh 2.1 carats, the largest found in the park so far this year.

“Mr. Lanik’s gem is about the size of a jellybean and has a dark brown color, similar to brandy. It has a beautiful natural pear shape and smooth, curved facets that give the gem a metallic shine," according to park interpreter Waymon Cox.

Cox said recent rainfall likely helped unearth the diamond, one of 296 diamonds that have been registered at the park so far this year. The gems weigh a total of 53.94 carats, and 11 of them weighed in at least one carat.

Lanik told The Washington Post that he had the gem appraised in Little Rock and found it's "not worth near as much as you'd think." Uncut, brown gems are less valuable than a cut, white gem, and the stone Lanik found has a fissure.

Lanik did not share how much the diamond is worth, but the Post reported that cut brown diamonds of similar size were being sold on eBay for less than $1,000.

Lanik said he plans to put the diamond into a ring for his wife to wear and eventually pass down to their sons. Finding the gem made the long, hot day of digging worth the effort for Lanik and his wife — but he is not so sure about the attitudes of his boys, 6 and 8 years old.

See also:
The Only Diamond Mine In the World Where You Can Be the Miner
Top Spots For Gem Hunting In The US I
6 Places Where Can You Go to Dig for Gemstones in California