Man nearly mistakes 3.81-carat diamond for candy wrapper at Arkansas park
MURFREESBORO, Ark. (KARK) – What was first thought to be a candy wrapper turned into a diamond find for a Minnesota man visiting an Arkansas state park.
A news release from Crater of Diamonds State Park said David DeCook from Stewartville, Minnesota, spotted a 3.81-carat brown diamond on April 24 while visiting the park with his family. DeCook said he spotted the diamond on his way down a hill south of the park’s south wash pavilion.
(Photos courtesy Arkansas Crater of Diamonds State Park)
DeCook, a regular visitor to the park, told park officials he first thought he saw a candy wrapper, but as he drew closer, he realized the tinfoil-like shine was from a diamond. He said he picked it up and turned to his brother, who was also a regular park visitor, and said, “Oh, you’re going to be mad once you see what I found!”
Officials said that the 3.81-carat find is the largest diamond harvested so far this year. They described it as having a metallic copper luster and a blocky triangular shape.
DeCook told officials he was going to name his find “The Duke Diamond” after his dog. It is the 217th diamond registered at the park in 2025 and the largest since a 7.46-carat find in January 2024 by French visitor Julien Navas.
Officials said the abundance of recent rain means it is more likely that visitors will find a diamond on top of the ground.
The largest diamond ever discovered in the United States was unearthed in 1924 during an early mining operation on the land that later became Crater of Diamonds State Park.
Named “Uncle Sam,” this white diamond with a pink cast weighed 40.23 carats. It was later cut into a 12.42-carat emerald shape and is now part of the Smithsonian’s mineral and gem collection at the National Museum of Natural History.
