There are those who go to the Crater of Diamonds State Park, armed with shovels and buckets and kneepads and maps to spend the day meticulously digging for diamonds.
And then there’s Dan Frederick and his daughter Lauren, who less than an hour after setting foot in the park for the first time, found a 2.03 carat diamond just lying there, staring back at them.
The state park in Arkansas is the only diamond-producing site in the world where anyone can come look for the gems — and keep whatever they spot.
But the Frederick find is pretty unusual.
For one thing, the diamonds are spread out over 37.5 acres of the park. The Fredericks found theirs last week just three feet in front of them.
“Dan Frederick has proven, once again, that it is possible to find large, beautiful diamonds while surface searching. This is an example of a diamond that all park visitors dream of taking home,” said Park official Betty Coors.
The diamond is pearly white in color and shaped like a triangle. The Fredericks decided to name it “Lucky Diamond.” Obviously.
Exactly how much the diamond is worth depends on its clarity, cut, color and carat (the four 4Cs).
But it’s a safe bet it’s worth much, much more than the $16 the Fredericks spent on admission.
