French Tourist Travels Across the States
Navas had been journeying across the states on a road trip with several stops planned. First up was a rocket launch in Florida before meeting a friend in New Orleans.
Source: Freepik
However, as he was passing through the region, the Frenchman decided to visit the Crater of Diamonds State Park, according to The New York Post.
Navas Searches for a Diamond in the Mud
Navas had heard the Arkansas park allowed visitors to search for diamonds across 37.5 acres of the land.
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He rented a relatively basic diamond hunting kit and went hunting for a prize in the mud.
Backbreaking Work
Speaking on the difficulty of the task at hand, Navas stated searching for a diamond in the park was particularly challenging.
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“That is backbreaking work, so by the afternoon, I was mainly looking on top of the ground for anything that stood out,” Navas told The New York Post.
Navas Returns to Parks Center to Test the Finds
After looking for most of the day, picking up several potential rocks, he returned to the park’s visitor center to test out his finds.
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The Frenchman was taken aback when he discovered one brown marble-like stone that turned out to be a 7.46-carat diamond.
Navas Over the Moon With His Brown Diamond
According to The New York Post, Navas said, “I am so happy!” when he realized that his small brown stone was, in fact, a diamond.
Source: @Crater of Diamonds State Park/Facebook
“All I can think about is telling my fiancée what I found.”
The Carine Diamond
In an email to The Washington Post, Navas shared what he decided to name the diamond.
Source: Facebook
“Since it’s a big diamond, they asked me to name it. I gave it my fiancée’s first name, the Carine Diamond.”
Plans for the Diamond
Navas revealed he already has plans set in place for the diamond.
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According to the Frenchman, he will cut the diamond into two pieces. One will be used as a wedding ring for his fiancée, and the other half will be saved for his daughter.
Largest Diamond Unearthed Since 2020
The brown diamond unearthed by Navas is the largest the park has seen since 2020 and the eighth largest since the park officially opened in 1972.
Source: Freepik
Speaking of the find, the park said the diamond is roughly the size of a gumdrop.
Texas Tourist Holds Park Record
While the diamond discovered by Navas is undoubtedly impressive, a resident of Texas holds the park record.
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Back in 1975, the Texan unearthed a beautiful 16.37-carat stone.
75,000 Diamonds Unearthed in Arkansas Park
A report released in 2016 reveals that over 75,000 diamonds have been found on the land owned by John Huddleston, a local farmer who first discovered diamonds on the land in 1906.
Source: Wikimedia
According to park records, which began in 1972, over 35,000 diamonds weighing over 7,000 carats have been pulled from the dirt.
Park Tourists Love to Search for Diamonds
According to Sarah Reap, who works as a park interpreter for Arkansas State Parks, some lucky visitors find multiple diamonds in one day.
Source: @Crater of Diamonds State Park/Facebook
“On a March day, we could have 10 diamonds turned in,” she told the Washington Post, “but we could also have a thousand people here.”