MURFREESBORO, Ark. — Visitors unearthed a couple of large diamonds recently at an Arkansas state park known for its gems.
Dr. Mindy Pomtree found a 6.39 carat diamond while walking near Beatty Hill in Crater of Diamonds State Park in June, park officials said.
“I kept feeling of my pocket throughout the day to make sure it was still there,” Pomtree said. “I didn’t know if it was a diamond but thought it looked cool, and it was definitely shiny.”
A jeweler confirmed its authenticity. Pomtree returned to the park and had it registered. “Serendipity,” as Pomtree named it, is the 12th-largest stone found at the park, officials said.
“I did a little research on how to find diamonds beforehand, but it turned out to be a walk that resulted in my find,” Pomtree said.
It was not the only large gemstone found recently at the park.
An Alabama man who wanted to visit for 30 years after first learning about the park from a fourth-grade teacher found a 2.73 carat diamond July 9.
“I was running my finger through some gravel I had just sifted, and the diamond popped right out,” William Dempsey said. “My son had come over to tell me lunch was ready, and he saw it at the same time I did.”
He plans to have the diamond appraised before deciding to keep or sell it.
More than 75,000 diamonds have been found at the park since the first one was discovered in 1906. In 2020, 171 diamonds have been registered at the park; six of them weighed at least one carat each.