Man Finds 3.29 Carat “Ugly” Brown Diamond At State Park
Many of us dream of finding buried treasure but some people actually go out and try to find it. That is the case with those who visit the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.
The state park includes a 37-acre field that sits on top of an extinct volcanic crater. Over the years, people have found thousands of gems each day.
In fact, there are so many diamonds found at the park that is thought that visitors find an average of two diamonds every day. What is even better is that when somebody finds a diamond, they can keep it.
One person who is appreciative of the fact that they can keep the diamonds is David Anderson. According to a press release, he lives in Arkansas and regularly visits the park. He also recently found a Brown diamond that was 3.29 carats.
This is not the largest diamond found at the park, but it is the biggest that has been found since 2021. He saw the gem while doing some wet sifting of the soil and he named it B.U.D. which stands for “Big, Ugly Diamond.”
Say hello to the BUD (Big Ugly Diamond). That's what Crater of Diamonds State Park regular, David Anderson, is calling the 3.29-carat brown diamond. It's the largest gem registered since Sept. 2021. Read more about this discovery here: https://t.co/ozbP43X7G9 #ARStateParks pic.twitter.com/gArMHwzg33
— Arkansas State Parks (@ARStatePark) March 14, 2023
You can see why he considers the diamond ugly when you look at it up close. It has a “mottled brown color” with a pitted surface.
When Anderson first saw the diamond, he thought it was quartz but he wondered why it was so shiny. After he picked it up, he said he realized it was a diamond.
The press release notes that Anderson has been visiting the park for 16 years and has found about 400 diamonds during that time. 15 of the diamonds weighed more than 1 carat. His largest diamond was a 6.19-carat white gem but he also found a 3.83-carat yellow diamond.
Other people have also found plenty of diamonds, with 75,000 found since the park opened in 1906. Uncle Sam, the largest diamond ever found in the United States, was also found at the park. It weighs 40.23 carats.
