Girl, 7, Finds 'Beautiful' 2.95-Carat Diamond at Arkansas State Park While Celebrating Her Birthday
Aspen Brown located the golden brown diamond while visiting Crater of Diamonds State Park on Sept. 1, according to Arkansas State Parks
Arkansas State Parks
Diamond found by 7-year-old Aspen Brown at Crater of Diamonds State Park in ArkansasA young girl just stumbled upon one of the biggest diamonds found this year at an Arkansas State Park
Aspen Brown, 7, of Paragould, located a 2.95-carat golden brown diamond while visiting Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro on Sept. 1, according to Arkansas State Parks.
The girl was celebrating her birthday at the park with her family when she made the stunning discovery while resting with her father and grandmother, KAIT reported.
“She got hot and wanted to sit down for a minute, so she walked over to some big rocks by the fence line,” Aspen’s father Luther Brown told the outlet.
“Next thing I know, she was running to me, saying ‘Dad! Dad! I found one,’ ” he added.
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At just under three carats, the diamond “is second-largest registered by a park guest this year,” according to Arkansas State Parks. A 3.29-carat brown diamond was found in March.
The diamond “is a complete crystal” that is golden-brown in color and has “a sparkling luster,” assistant park superintendent Waymon Cox said, per KAIT.
“It’s certainly one of the most beautiful diamonds I’ve seen in recent years,” he added.
Arkansas State Parks
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The discovery comes shortly after an excavation project was completed at Crater of Diamonds State Park, park superintendent Caleb Howell said, per KAIT.
Howell said “it’s very possible that this diamond and others were uncovered” when a company dug a 150-yard trench on the north side of the search area “to help manage erosion” in August.
Arkansas State Parks did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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On its website, Crater of Diamonds State Park touts itself as “one of the only places in the world where the public can search for real diamonds in their original volcanic source.”
At the park is a 37-acre field that is “the eroded surface of a volcanic crater,” where visitors can search for various rocks, minerals, and gemstones, including white, brown and yellow diamonds.
Visitors have located more than 35,000 diamonds at the park since 1972, when Crater of Diamonds became an official state park, according to the website.
The largest diamond ever found in the United States — a 40.23-carat gemstone dubbed “Uncle Sam” — was found at the state park in 1924.
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