Woman Discovers 4.38 Carat Gem At Arkansas Crater Of Diamonds State Park

A woman from Granite Bay, California, and her husband were visiting the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas when she picked up a stone and found out it was more than just an ordinary rock.

Noreen Wredberg and her husband Michael were unaware that the item she picked up was a 4.38-carat yellow diamond. Noreen discovered the diamond on Sept. 23 while the sun was out, according to an Arkansas State Parks press release.

It had rained on and off days before their visit. Park Interpreter Waymon Cox said the Wredbergs lucked out with perfect conditions for diamond hunting. Noreen found her diamond in less than an hour.

“I didn’t know it was a diamond then, but it was clean and shiny, so I picked it up,” Noreen said.

The couple initially visited Arkansas Hot Springs National Park before deciding to go to the Crater of Diamonds State Park at the last minute. Thanks to the cooler temperatures, the couple’s attempt to stay warm during their excursion paid off in more ways than one.

“It was very cold in the park that day, so I told Noreen to move closer towards the open ground. After around 40 minutes, we saw a big, shining object and picked it up,” Michael said, as reported by CNN News18.

“We checked with the Diamond Discovery Center who ran several tests on it. Finally, they told us that it was the biggest yellow diamond discovered in the park since October 2020.”

Throughout 2021, 258 diamonds have been discovered at the park. The value of the diamond Noreen found is unknown at the moment since the park did not offer an appraisal.

In 1990, a 3.03-carat diamond was found in the park and later cut down to 1.09 carats and set into a gold ring. With the help of donations, the park was able to purchase the ring for over $34,000 and put it on display at the visitor center.

Crater of Diamonds State Park allows its visitors to keep what they find. Since 1906, over 75,000 diamonds had been discovered.