What started as a family outing turned into the find of a lifetime for a Tennessee man visiting Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park.
Barry G. Smith of Germantown, Tennessee, was visiting the park on Sunday, August 16, with his wife and granddaughters, Sage and Juniper, as part of a week-long trip through Arkansas and Missouri. The family rented a wagon and a basic diamond hunting kit and headed into the search area.
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About 30 minutes into their search, Smith noticed something sparkling in the East Drain area of the park. Thinking it was mica or another common mineral, he picked it up and slipped it into his pocket before continuing to dig with his granddaughters.
When the family decided to take a lunch break, Smith brought the stone to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center for identification. That’s when staff confirmed he had found a rare 2.29-carat canary yellow diamond…