digg a diamond

Eight-year-old Twin Boys Find 2.50 Carat Diamond

related site : Crater of Diamonds State Park  
Crater of Diamonds Arkansas State Park
209 State Park Road
Murfreesboro, AR 71958
Email: craterofdiamondsATarkansas.com
Phone: (870) 285-3113

When most boys play in the park, they may find a lost toy or shoe at best. The eight-year-old Duncan twins got much luckier in Crater of Diamonds State Park located in Arkansas. They found a 2.50 carat raw diamond, possibly worth thousands of dollars.

The boys were playing in the park when they found something heart shaped with a sparkling, almost metallic look. They thought they had found a piece of mica. When they were told they had actually found a 2.50 carat raw diamond, they were extremely excited. "Whoo-hoos" and high fives were emphatically shared between the lucky twins.

The boys found the diamond over the weekend, in Crater of Diamonds State Park, which encourages visitors to look for precious stones. Not only are visitors encouraged to look for stones, but they get to keep what they find. The diamond the twin boys found is estimated to be worth several thousand dollars.

Last month Jim Gatliff, of Delight, Arkansas uncovered a huge find in the park. Gatliff discovered a 2.67 carat yellow diamond. The yellow diamond was the largest found in the park in 2007 at the time.

Several other pricy gems have been found in recent months, including a 6.35 carat brown Roden Diamond, a 5.47 carat yellow Sunshine Diamond, a 4.21 carat yellow Okie Dokie Diamond, and a 2.37 carat white diamond. The largest diamond found since 1972 in the park was a 16.37 carat white diamond, found by W.W. Johnson in 1975.

The Crater of Diamonds State Park frequently has visitors finding diamonds. 100 million years ago, movement of the earth's plates formed cracks in the earth's crust where the park is today. Hot magma was allowed to escape, pushing up diamonds with it. The diamonds may have been formed several billion years ago.

Entrance into the diamond area of the park is only $6.50 (tax included) for adults. Lucky visitors can more than make up for the entrance fee and the roughly $20 a day camping fee. The park offers more than diamond hunting, including camping, a children's playground, a visitors center and a wildlife observation blind.

Diamonds are a big business in the U.S. 2004 was the first year the country had a net outflow of diamonds. In 1990, the net inflow of diamonds was 5 million carats. In 1999, that level jumped to 17.7 million carats. The rate has since dramatically declined.