A trip to an Arkansas state park has turned into a potentially massive payday for one Florida couple.
Jennifer and Scott of Tampa were visiting Crater of Diamonds State Park when they found a huge white diamond, later revealed to weigh a whopping 3.36 carats.
The couple made the discovery in their third bucket of diamonds, using sifting equipment rented from Lovejoy Diamond Screens, which rents equipment for sifting at the park.
The shop posted about the couple’s find on its Facebook page, including the card issued by the state park indicating how many carats their diamond was, as well as its color. Lovejoy Diamond Screens plans to share more information in an upcoming press release.
Crater of Diamonds State Park, located in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, is one of the only diamond-producing sites in the world where the public can search for diamonds in their original volcanic source, according to the Arkansas State Parks website. Crater of Diamonds State Park has a “finders, keepers” policy where any person can keep the diamonds they find.
“Visitors search for diamonds atop a 37 1/2-acre plowed field, the eroded surface of an ancient, diamond-bearing volcanic crater,” the website read. “Visitors access the diamond search area through the Diamond Discovery Center, an engaging interpretive center featuring exhibits and a pushbutton video kiosk that illustrates the three most popular methods of searching for diamonds.”
The park charges $15 for adults 13+ to search for diamonds, with the option to rent out equipment and tools such as a shovel or a screen set.
According to the diamond website, StoneAglo, 3.36 carat round diamonds usually range from $15,520 to $147,546 with an average price of $59,529.
However, there can be a huge discrepancy when it comes to uncut diamonds like the one the couple found.
Rich Goldberg of Safian & Rudolph Jewelers told The Independent that Jennifer and Scott’s diamond “could vary significantly in value based on other quality characteristics.”
“I would estimate that in the diamond’s current rough state, they may be able to get $5,000-$10,000,” he said, noting there are “significant manufacturing costs to turn a rough diamond into a polished gem.”
Goldberg continued: “Now, if they have the diamond cut, let’s say to a round shape, which is the most common and classic shape, we also need to keep in mind that a diamond can often lose half its weight when being cut to gem quality.”
Still, if the couple opts to turn their find into a polished gem and it retains a weight of at least two carats, Goldberg said it could be worth significantly more, depending upon several factors like color, size, weight, shape, and clarity.
“If the clarity ends up in the VS (very slightly included) or better, the diamond could fetch a retail price as much as $20,000-30,000 or more,” he said. “However, if the clarity ranges between included to SI (slightly included), a retail price for the diamond would most likely fall in the $10,000-15,000 range.”
