Woman finds 3.72-carat yellow diamond at Arkansas state park
A 27-year-old woman struck gold when she found a 3.72-carat yellow diamond while exploring an Arkansas state park last week.
Miranda Hollingshead had known about the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Pike County, Arkansas, for years before she finally decided to explore the landscape on Friday with her mother and siblings, she told ABC Little Rock affiliate KATV.
Hollingshead, who is originally from Texas, found the diamond at the base of a hill on the northeast side of the park, she said.
She spotted it as she was sitting in the shade and watching a YouTube video on how to find diamonds.
"I looked over at my kid for a second, and when I looked down, I saw it mixed in with other rocks," Hollingshead said.
Hollingshead then took her treasure to the Diamond Discovery Center, where park staff registered it, telling her that recent rainfall likely unearth the diamond to the surface.
Per tradition, Hollingshead and her son named the diamond. They came up with the name "Caro Avenger," the first half a choice of her son's, and the second as a testament to Hollingshead's love for superheroes.
It appears the find was a twist of fate, as going to the park was not part of Hollingshead's original plan for the day, according to a Facebook post from The State Parks of Arkansas.
Hollingshead plans to either sell the gem or mount it as a ring, she said.
Anyone can try their hand at diamond digging at the Crater of Diamonds State Park for a $10 admission fee, according to the park's website.
Hollingshead's find is the largest to come out of the state park since 2017, when a teenager found a 7.44-carat brown diamond, according to KATV. It is also the largest yellow diamond found since a Oklahoma City resident found a 3.85-carat one in 2013.
More than 33,100 diamonds have been found by park visitors since it became a state park in 1972, including the 40.23-carat "Uncle Sam," the largest diamond ever found in the U.S., according to the park's website.
