Woman finds 2.65-carat diamond during birthday trip to Arkansas state park
— -- One lucky woman received a birthday surprise Saturday after finding a diamond during a trip to an Arkansas state park.
On May 6, Victoria Brodski, of Tulsa Oklahoma, was visiting Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro with her daughter, brother and parents to celebrate her 25th birthday when she discovered the 2.65-carat gemstone.
"I wish I could tell you I was excited, but I didn't know it was a diamond -- I just thought it was a pretty piece of glass," Brodski told ABC News today. "Their eyes got really big and they and went to a different room with it. She came out with a finder's form I had to fill out and I said, 'Did I find a diamond?' She said, 'Yes, you found a diamond.'"
Brodski said she wanted to visit the park after hearing about a 7.44-carat brown diamond that was found by 14-year-old Kalel Langford in March.
Minutes after she and her family arrived at the park, Brodski was showing her 1-year-old daughter how to look for diamonds in the dirt.
She then came across what she thought was a "pretty piece of glass" and placed it in a bag with other items that were later found that day.
"My dad and I went to the information booth and I saw little examples of diamonds," Brodski recalled. " I said, 'That's the rock I picked up earlier.' So, I took it up there and they identified it."
Brodski and her family used the names of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as code words in case a diamond was found. "I called my mom and said, 'Michaelangelo!' she added.
According to the park, the diamond found by Brodski was one of three discovered on the surface on May 6. "It is the second-largest diamond found so far in 2017, topped only by the 7.44-carat brown diamond found by a 14-year-old," the park's press release said.
Park interpreter Waymon Cox said, “Mrs. Brodski’s diamond is one of the more beautiful brown diamonds I’ve seen from the park. It’s about the size of a bead, with a dark brown color, like raw honey. It has a smooth, rounded surface and appears free of blemishes, inside and out.”
Brodski has not yet had her diamond appraised. She and her family created a contract before leaving for the park, which states that they'll all split the value evenly.
When asked what her advice is for future park visitors, Brodski said, "Make sure you know what a diamond looks like!"
