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4.87-carat, nearly-colorless diamond found at Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas
UPI ^ | DEC. 20, 2023 / 1:49 PM | By Ben Hooper

Posted on 12/20/2023 10:59:53 AM PST by Red Badger

Dec. 20 (UPI) -- An Arkansas man who visited Crater of Diamonds State Park for the first time later discovered what he thought was a clear piece of glass was a 4.87-carat diamond.

Jerry Evans of Lepanto said he had only been at the park in Murfreesboro when he picked up what he thought was a clear piece of glass and pocketed it.

"I thought it might be a piece of glass, it was so clear. I really didn't know," he told Arkansas State Parks officials. "We were picking up everything thinking it was a diamond."

A while after leaving the park, he decided to have the object examined by the Gemological Institute of America just to make sure.

A few weeks later he received word that what he thought was glass was actually a 4.87-carat diamond that was nearly completely colorless.

"When they called and told me it was real, I was tickled to death," Evans said.

He later contacted Crater of Diamonds State Park to register his find.

"While I get many emails from people wanting me to identify something they've found here, to my recollection, this is the first time someone has contacted me after they've had a diamond identified by the GIA," Assistant Park Superintendent Waymon Cox said in a news release. "I'm glad that Mr. Evans was able to bring his historic diamond back to the park to have it officially registered."

Park officials said Evans' diamond was the largest found at the former mine since a 9.07-carat brown diamond was unearthed in 2020.


TOPICS: History; Hobbies; Outdoors; Travel
KEYWORDS: arkansas; craterofdiamonds; jerryevans; lepanto; murfreesboro
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1 posted on 12/20/2023 10:59:53 AM PST by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

2 posted on 12/20/2023 11:03:02 AM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: Red Badger

“He later contacted Crater of Diamonds State Park to register his find.”

Mistake...


3 posted on 12/20/2023 11:25:17 AM PST by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: hellinahandcart

Road trip.


4 posted on 12/20/2023 11:42:26 AM PST by sauropod (The obedient always think of themselves as virtuous rather than cowardly.)
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To: All

I heard about this place about 20 years ago. Have always wanted to go for the day and do some digging.

Don’t expect to find much of anything but it might still be fun.


5 posted on 12/20/2023 12:04:46 PM PST by MplsSteve
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To: Red Badger
Nice find!


6 posted on 12/20/2023 12:08:35 PM PST by CtBigPat (There are people in this world who would kill you for a dollar, and the worst wear business suites. )
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To: Red Badger

Not a word about what it’s worth?


7 posted on 12/20/2023 12:14:11 PM PST by steve86 (Numquam accusatus, numquam ad curiam ibit, numquam ad carcerem™)
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To: Openurmind
“He later contacted Crater of Diamonds State Park to register his find.”

So, when does the Federal government seize the diamond?

8 posted on 12/20/2023 12:16:09 PM PST by Lazamataz (The firearms I own today, are the firearms I will die with. How I die will be up to them.)
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To: steve86

After cutting and polishing I say roughly 5-10G’s.............


9 posted on 12/20/2023 12:17:03 PM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while l aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: MplsSteve

My neighbor went, spent all day found nothing but fun...............


10 posted on 12/20/2023 12:17:53 PM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while l aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Lazamataz

“So, when does the Federal government seize the diamond?”

Yep, just like registering a gun. Now there will have to be a chain of custody trail.

When you do these things you are handing the government “stewardship” of the item.


11 posted on 12/20/2023 12:24:19 PM PST by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: Lazamataz

Yeah, 10% of it belongs to the “Big Guy”


12 posted on 12/20/2023 12:27:23 PM PST by jpp113
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To: MplsSteve
Don’t expect to find much of anything but it might still be fun.

I took the fam down about 12 years ago. It pretty fun. You get sweaty and dirty and typically find quartz rather than diamonds, but it makes for memories!
13 posted on 12/20/2023 12:28:48 PM PST by Jan_Sobieski (Sanctification)
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To: MplsSteve

30 mins from my place! Neat park. NEVER disclose a find.


14 posted on 12/20/2023 1:35:36 PM PST by DCBryan1 (Inter arma enim silent leges! - Cicero )
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To: jpp113

Of course, you found the big diamond 366 days ago! Long term capital gains much more favorable ;)


15 posted on 12/20/2023 1:36:15 PM PST by DCBryan1 (Inter arma enim silent leges! - Cicero )
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To: Red Badger

I have continued to wonder for ages what could be found if some serious digging were to take place there instead of just recycling the same old dirt.


16 posted on 12/20/2023 1:38:53 PM PST by Sequoyah101 (Procrastination is just a form of defiance)
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To: MplsSteve

That park is on our bucket list too.


17 posted on 12/20/2023 2:23:24 PM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: Sequoyah101

Several entities tried to operate it as a commercial diamond mine ... unsuccessfully ... before it was deeded to the State to become a State Park.


18 posted on 12/20/2023 2:30:37 PM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Openurmind
Unfortunately in the diamond industry, they are very concerned about ethical and conflict-free sourced diamonds.

Registering the diamond protects the finder from accusations that his was a so-called blood-diamond, either mined with child labor or sold to finance wars.

-PJ

19 posted on 12/20/2023 2:35:57 PM PST by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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To: Lazamataz

You get to keep what you find.


20 posted on 12/20/2023 2:48:22 PM PST by Flaming Conservative ((Pray without ceasing))
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