Crater of Diamonds State Park sees 6-carat diamond discovery

Jack Pearadin, a Navy reservist and long-time gem hunter, has discovered a 6.03-carat yellow diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. The find, which Pearadin named the ‘American Dream’, was captured during a TikTok livestream earlier this year. Pearadin, who has been searching the park since 2013 and even moved to Murfreesboro to be closer to the site, intends to split the proceeds with his companion, Michael Schumacher.

While some collectors have suggested the diamond could be worth as much as $1 million, professional appraisers offer a more conservative estimate. One expert told the Associated Press that a high-quality yellow diamond of this size could be valued at approximately $250,000, noting that weight can decrease during the cutting and polishing process.

Crater of Diamonds State Park, a former open-pit mine, allows visitors to keep any gemstones they find for a modest entry fee. Since opening to the public in 1972, the park has yielded over 37,000 diamonds. The largest diamond ever found at the location was the 40.23-carat ‘Uncle Sam’, discovered in 1924.