A Man Goes On Vacation To The World’s Only Public Diamond Mine And Returns With A Gem Of A Find
Posted October 23, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
But for one man, it wound up paying for his trip – and left him a lot more money for future excursions, besides.
The story of how Bob Wehle of Ripon, Wisconsin left home an ordinary traveller and returned a wealthier man starts in the small town of Murfreesboro, Arkansas. That’s the home of a place you’ve likely never heard of but may now never forget – the Crater of Diamonds State Park.
It’s the only spot in the world that allows ordinary people to search for precious gems – and keep whatever they find.
So when Wehle came for a visit, he never imagined what he’d find – an incredible 5.47 carat canary diamond with no visible flaws. The bright yellow stone is believed to be worth anywhere from $15,000-$60,000. And under the rules of the park, it’s his to keep.
“At first glance, it makes you think of lemon drop candy,” explains park superintendent Tom Stolarz.
It’s the second largest jewel found in the park this year. The honour of being number one for 2006 belongs to a Texas couple who discovered a breathtaking 6.35-carat brown sparkler in September.
But despite the find, the park’s website claims that wasn’t the biggest diamond in the rough ever uncovered there.
That came in 1924, when a legendary buried treasure known as the “Uncle Sam” weighed in at 40 carats. By the time it was cut down, the largest gemstone ever found in the U.S. sold for $150,000.
For more on this one of a kind tourist attraction, click here.
Crater of Diamonds State Park finds
|
NAME |
YEAR FOUND |
ROUGH WEIGHT |
CUT WEIGHT |
COLOR |
|
“Uncle Sam” |
1924 |
40.23 carats |
12.42 carats |
White |
|
“Amarillo Starlight” |
1975 |
16.37 carats |
7.54 carats |
White |
|
“Star of Arkansas” |
1956 |
15.33 carats |
8.27 carats |
White |
|
“Star of Shreveport” |
1981 |
8.82 carats |
uncut |
White |
|
Lamle diamond |
1978 |
8.61 carats |
—- |
Brown |
|
Connell diamond |
1986 |
7.95 carats |
—- |
White |
|
Dickinson/Stevens diamond |
1998 |
7.28 carats |
uncut |
Yellow |
|
Cooper diamond |
1997 |
6.72 carats |
uncut |
Brown |
|
“Gary Moore Diamond” |
1960 |
6.43 carats |
uncut |
Canary |
|
Lee diamond |
1988 |
6.30 carats |
—- |
White |
|
Newman diamond |
1981 |
6.25 carats |
—- |
white |
|
Fedzora diamond |
1991 |
6.23 carats |
—- |
white |
|
Stockton diamond |
1981 |
6.20 carats |
—- |
white |
|
Schall diamond |
1981 |
6.07 carats |
—- |
white |
|
Cooper diamond |
1997 |
6.00 carats |
—- |
brown |
|
“Kahn Canary” |
1977 |
4.25 carats |
uncut |
canary |
|
“Strawn-Wagner Diamond” |
1990 |
3.03 carats |
1.09 carats |
white |
