Treasure Hunter Finds 9-Carat Diamond at Arkansas Park

So this is why they call it the Crater of Diamonds State Park:  A treasure hunter, who was visiting the Arkansas landmark recently unearthed a 9-carat diamond.  It would be over four times the size of the one pictured, which is about the size of a woman’s “pinky” fingernail.

Kevin Kinard says that, after 10 minutes of “wet sifting” left him empty-handed, he split from his group of friends and took a walk.  Kinard says he was picking up anything that even remotely resembled a jewel.  “It kind of looked interesting and shiny, so I put it in my bag and kept searching,” he adds.  “I just thought it might’ve been glass.”

It wasn’t.  Park officials say Kinard has Tropical Storm Laura to thank, for helping him find it.  Heavy rains from the storm likely brought the pricey rock to the surface, they say.

This diamond is the second-largest to be discovered at the park, since 1972.