The Lesotho Promise
603 carats
15th largest ever discovered worldwide
Posted on 10/21/2006 2:26:35 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
MURFREESBORO, AK (AP) -- A Wisconsin man has found a 5.47-carat canary diamond at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro.
Bob Wehle of Ripon, Wis., found the diamond - the second-largest unearthed this year at the park - on Oct. 14.
Park staff have dug two new trenches in the park, and that's led to the discovery of more canary diamonds, said Joan Ellison, a spokeswoman for Arkansas State Parks.
"The park staff wanted to enhance the essential experience for visitors, and that's the chance to find diamonds," Ellison said.
Wehle's 5.47-carat diamond is bright yellow and has no visible flaws, said Tom Stolarz, park superintendent.
"At first glance, it makes you think of lemon drop candy," Stolarz said.
The largest diamond this year was found by a Texas couple: Donald and Brenda Roden of Point, Texas, unearthed a 6.35-carat brown diamond in September.
Diamonds come in different colors, and the three most common found at the Arkansas park are white, brown and yellow, in that order.
The park is the world's only publicly-operated diamond site where the public is allowed to search and keep any gems they find. The largest diamond ever discovered in the United States was unearthed here in 1924. Named the Uncle Sam, the white diamond weighed 40.23 carats.
I doubt this was Murfeesboro AK, how about AR?
I've been there twice. Both times I found a handful of dirt.
Not only is it ARkansas, it's Murfreesboro.
It's all flyover country to the eagled-eyed editors at AP.
Oops! Now, don't go into a biopolar funk about it, Bob! It's Arkansas, LOL!
AK had to be good fer' sumpin'...
I'm okay! I'm having chocolate LOL. I just happen to live in Arkansas. Now you know the rest of the story . . . .
Wow, diamonds as big as your fingernails!
Burn on Bob.
This is like winning the Powerball lottery. It'll easily fetch $10 million at Sothseby's.
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