Imagine going on a quiet getaway only to return home with a genuine uncut diamond. Well, that’s exactly what happened during one California couple’s vacation at Hot Springs National Park. During their trip, the couple briefly visited the nearby Crater of Diamonds park. Not 40 minutes later, Noreen Wredberg came upon one giant diamond.
Wredberg uncovered the sparkly stone last week while she and her husband Michael were away on vacation. According to the New York Post, the lucky couple only wandered into the park as Noreen remembered they were nearby Crater of Diamonds Park. The discovery itself is lucky enough. However, their chances of uncovering the stone were even more surprising as Crater of Diamonds is the only diamond mine in the United States open to the public.
Of the shiny find, Wredberg told Arkansas State Parks news, “I don’t even know what it’s worth yet.”
Further, Wredberg wasn’t even sure what she had located at first. All she knew was “it was clean and shiny, so I picked it up!”
Park staff concluded the stone as a 4.38-carat yellow diamond. Further, park superintendent Caleb Howell stated that the pear-shaped, jelly bean-sized stone marked the largest gemstone discovery this year. Howell added that conditions for Wredberg’s discovery were perfect. The area had just seen an inch of rain and the sun shone on the gemstone that morning.
Wredberg’s discovery is even more impressive, though, as park visitors find, on average, only two diamonds a day.
Arkansas Man Uncovers $32K Bright Yellow Diamond
Wredberg’s discovery is no doubt impressive, with her stone measuring an impressive 4.38 carats. However, she’s not the only one to have uncovered some impressive finds at Crater of Diamonds park.
Last year, one Arkansas man uncovered a different bright yellow diamond. That is after he initially mistook the amber-colored stone for a piece of a broken coke bottle. In the end, the almost-lost opportunity amounted to an impressive $32,000 in worth.
At the time, the lucky man, Steven McCool (now Steven McCool-er) was unsure what he wanted to do with his find. Like Wredberg’s, his stone amounted to an impressive size as well, measuring a total 4.49 carats and identified as canary yellow in color. Additionally, it appears jelly beans are a common size comparison in the diamond industry as professionals compared the size of McCool’s diamond to the sweet little candy as well.
Of his discovery, the diamond miner said, “I’m torn. I’m somewhat sentimental. It’s my first diamond I’ve found,” so it makes sense he would want to keep it as is.
However, as we saw above, putting the precious find up for sale could definitely reign in a large sum of money.
Nevertheless, until we know what becomes of the gemstone, it has earned the name BamMam after McCool’s children’s initials.
