A French tourist is making headlines after finding a 7.46-carat diamond in an American state park.
According to the Washington Post, Julien Navas (42), who lives in Paris, found a diamond during his visit to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, USA, on the 11th.
At the time, Navas rented a basic diamond hunting kit and began digging through the mud when he found a shiny object after searching all day.
He said, “I have always wanted to visit the Diamond State Park because I have read many articles about it. I come to the US often, and this time, I needed a beautiful diamond ring for my fiancée because I am getting engaged.”
According to the park’s Diamond Discovery Centre, a deep chocolate-brown marble-like object turned out to be a 7.46-carat diamond–the largest discovery since 2020 and the eighth largest in the park’s history since it opened in 1972.
The Washington Post commented, “He got a chocolate-colored 7.46-carat diamond for just $15 (admission fee).”
Meanwhile, the Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only open-air mine-type park in the United States. It was officially developed in 1906 when a farmer named John Huddleston discovered a diamond. After changing owners several times, it has been operated by the state of Arkansas since 1972.
Visitors can enter the park by paying an admission fee and keep any gemstones they find themselves. So far, about 35,000 diamonds have been discovered in this park. A diamond weighing 8.52 carats found in 2015 was sold for a whopping 1 million dollars.
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