35,000th Diamond Found at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park
It happened. The 35,000th diamond was found at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. We've been waiting for the past few weeks and on September 6 the big milestone took place.
The finder of the 35,000th diamond is Scott Kreykes of Dierks, Arkansas. He's been coming to the park and digging for diamonds for the last for years and he has found a lot of diamonds. He has found and registered more than 80 diamonds. Back on Tuesday, September 6 he registered his 50th diamond of the year. That diamond turned out to be the 35,000th diamond that has been found and registered since the state park opened in 1972.
Tayler Markham, Park Interpreter said in a press release,
“Each visitor that comes to the park is allowed to take one five-gallon bucket of sifted gravel home with them per day. Some visitors like to resift their gravel at home or wait for it to dry to look for the metallic shine of a diamond.”
Bringing home and sifting through some travel is exactly what Kreykes did. That's when he saw the pearl-shaped diamond that turned out to be the 35,000th diamond found at the park.
Kreykes brought the diamond to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center at the park. It was registered as a 3 pt. white diamond.
Markham explained the diamond point system as;
“Diamonds are weighed in points and carats. One hundred points is equal to one carat, like pennies to a dollar. Most diamonds found at the park weigh between 20 and 25 points.”
The park had something special for the finder of the milestone diamond, Kreykes received a free two-night stay at an Arkansas State Park. He also received recognition from Murfreesboro officials. He was also given a display case for his diamond and registration card.
People who find diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park get to name their findings. Kreykes named his 3 pt diamond after his grandson Leo.
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